LIFE 


MAJOR    GENERAL 


ZACHARY   TAYLOR; 


NOTICES  OF  THE  WAR  IN  NEW  MEXICO,  CALIFORNIA, 
AND  IN  SOUTHERN  MEXICO  j 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF  OFFICERS  WHO  HAVE 
DISTINGUISHED  THEMSELVES  IN  THE  WAR  WITH  MEXICO, 


BY  JOHN  FROST,  L.L.  D., 

AUTHOR  OF  -BOOK;  OF  THE  ARMY."  -BOOK  OF  THE  NAVY,"  &c,  &o. 


NEW    YORK: 

D.  APPLETON  &  CO.  200  BROADWAY. 

PHILADELPHIA. 

G.  S.  APPLETON,  118  CHESNUT  STREET. 
1847. 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1847,  hv 

D.    APPLET  ON   &   CO. 

in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  and  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


TIMES  of  war,  revolution,  or  other  national  con 
vulsions,  serve  to  develop  strong  and  striking  traits 
of  character,  and  to  bring  men  capable  of  high 
resolve  and  energetic  action  into  public  notice. 
The  truth  of  this  observation,  confirmed  by  all 
history,  has  been  forcibly  illustrated  since  the  com 
mencement  of  hostilities  between  Mexico  and  the 
United  States.  If  a  long  peace  had  led  any  short 
sighted  person  to  believe  that  the  martial  spirit  of  a 
free  nation,  like  our  own,  could  ever  become  extinct 
by  inaction,  the  events  of  the  last  few  months  have 
served  to  dissipate  the  illusion.  We  find  that  the 
heroic  age,  the  age  of  American  chivalry,  has  not 
yet  quite  passed  away — that  we  have  still  soldiers 
among  us  who  are  worthy  to  be  ranked  with  the 

revolutionary  heroes ;  and  that  the  lofty  spirits  who 

3 

M581C45 


4  PREFACE. 

freely  shed  their  blood  at  Chippewa,  Niagara,  Platts- 
burg  and  Fort  Harrison,  have  lost  none  of  that  noblu 
contempt  of  danger  and  of  death  which  signalized 
their  characters  in  the  early  prime  of  manhood. 

The  present  war  has  also  developed  the  fact  that 
the  people  of  this  country  have  lost  none  of  their 
ancient  predilection  for  the  sturdy  race  of  heroes. 
The  present  popularity  of  General  Taylor  is  of  itself 
sufficient  to  show  that  the  hearts  of  the  American 
people  are  always  to  be  won  by  those  who  display 
the  lofty  qualities  of  firmness,  courage  and  capacity 
in  battle,  and  heart-warm  humanity  towards  the 
conquered  in  the  hour  of  victory.  The  hearts  of  the 
people  are  "in  the  right  place."  They  are  not  the 
mercenary,  merchandizing  set,  which  their  enemies 
represent  them  to  be.  They  reverence  exalted  traits 
of  character ;  and  cherish  the  true  hero. 

In  the  following  pages,  I  have  endeavored  to 
present  the  character  and  actions  of  General  Taylor 
in  their  true  light ;  and  for  this  purpose  my  materials 
have  been  tolerably  ample,  so  far  as  regards  the 
conspicuous  actions  in  which  he  has  been  engaged. 
With  respect  to  his  private  life  and  character,  I 
have  relied  chiefly  on  the  authority  of  those  who  arc 
so  fortunate  as  to  possess  a  personal  acquaintance 
with  the  General  and  his  family.  More  details  of 
the  comparatively  inactive  parts  of  his  life  might 


PREFACE.  5 

easily  have  been  supplied ;  but  most  readers  will  be 

best  satisfied  that  I  have  chosen  to  dwell  chiefly  on 

f 
those  great    actions    which    constitute    his   title    to 

renown.  By  his  public  life  he  will  be  chiefly  known ; 
and  henceforward  he  is  of  course  destined  to  be  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  public  characters  of  the 
country. 

The  notices  of  those  events  of  the  war  in  which 
General  Taylor  was  not  immediately  concerned,  are 
given  in  order  to  render  the  work  more  complete ; 
and  the  biographical  sketches  of  distinguished  officers 
are  introduced  with  the  same  view.  Some  materials 
for  these  sketches,  having  been  received  by  me  too 
late  for  insertion  in  the  body  of  the  work,  have  been 
thrown  into  the  appendix. 

To  the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Sec 
retary  of  War,  and  other  official  authorities  at  the 
seat  of  government,  I  am  under  obligations  for  facili 
ties  afforded  me  in  procuring  despatches,  and  docu 
ments,  as  well  as  to  my  friends  Mr.  James  Madison 
Cutts,  and  Dr.  J.  F.  May,  of  Washington,  for  their 
friendly  aid  in  effecting  the  same  object.  I  am  also 
indebted  to  Mr.  Moulton  of  New  York  for  an  abundant 
supply  of  materials  relating  to  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista.  My  thanks  are  also  due  to  the  family  of  the 
lamented  Major  Vinton  for  the  admirable  portrait  of 
General  Tavlor,  drawn  bv  the  skilful  hand  which 


6  PREPACK. 

now  lies  cold  in  the  tomb.  Mr.  Root  of  Philadelphia 
and  Mr.  Van  Loan  of  Washington,  will  also  be  pleased 
to  accept  my  thanks, — the  former  for  his  excellent 
daguerreotype  of  Commodore  Conner,  and  the  latter 
for  his  spirited  daguerreotypes  of  Lieutenant  Colonel 
May  and  Brigadier  General  Shields.  To  other 
friends  whom  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  mention  publicly, 
I  am  under  still  further  obligations. 

Like  all  cotemporary  biography,  this  work  is  liable 
to  error  from  a  variety  of  causes  which  it  is  unneces 
sary  to  point  out.  I  hope  it  will  be  found  generally 
accurate  ;  and  I  shall  always  hold  myself  in  readi 
ness  to  correct  any  error  which  future  research  may 
discover. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Early  Life.  Service  in  the  War  of  1812,  .  .  .  *  .  13 

CHAPTER  II. 
Service  in  the  Florida  War.  Battle  of  Okeechobee,  .  26 

CHAPTER  III. 
Commencement  of  the  Mexican  War,  .... 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Battle  of  Palo  Alto, .67 

CHAPTER  V. 
Battle  of  Rcsaca  de  la  Palma, 87 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Capture  of  Matamoras, 99 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Storming  of  Monterey,        ......  •  107 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Operations  in  New  Mexico  and  California.  -     137 

CHAPTER  IX. 
General  Taylor  at  Monterey,  ....  161 

CHAPTER  X. 
Battle  of  Buena  Vista ...  174 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Battle  of  Buena  Vista  continued, 1'J'J 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Events,  subsequent  to  the  Battle  of  Buena  Vista,  .  221 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Siege  of  Vera  Cruz, r  ....  835 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Battle  pf  Sierra  Gordo, 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Conclusion,  7>  261 


8  COiNTENTS. 

APPENDIX. 

General  Taylor's  Appearance, 277 

General  Taylor's  Family, 278 

General  Taylor's  Humanity,        ........  278 

The  Council  at  Palo  Alto, 279 

General  Taylor  at  Buena  Vista, 280 

General  Taylor's  Pony, 281 

Buena  Vista, 288 

Colonel  Davenport, 29 1 

General  Taylor's  Benevolence  to  his  Soldiers,       .....  294 

General  Wool  and  the  Volunteers, 295 

The  Indianians  at  Buena  Vista, 299 

Death  of  Captain  Taggart, 299 

The  night  after  the  Battle  of  Buena  Vista,  .         .         .         .         .         .  200 

Spanish  Opinions  of  the  War, 301 

Doniphan's  Expedition,       .........  302 

Flying  Artillery, 303 

The  Black  Flag, 303 

Bombardment  of  Vera  Cruz,        ........  305 

The  Capitulation, 310 

Sierra  Gordo, 315 

Pronunciation  of  Mexican  Names, «,  320 

John  R.  Vinton,  Brevet  Major,  U.  S.  Army, 322 

Colonel  de  Russy's  Official  Report  of  the  Expedition  to  Huejutla,          .  326 

Documents  found  on  the  Battle  Field  of  Buena  Vista,           .         .         .  334 
Discharges  from  the  Army,          .         .         .         .         .         ...         .341 

General  Wool's  March, 342 

General  Taylor's  Politics, 344 


•> 


LIST   OF    ENGRAVINGS, 


ON   STEEL, 


ENGRAVED  BY  W.  O.  ARMSTRONG. 


PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL   TATLOU,  FROM  A  DRAWING    BT  BREVKT 

MAJOR  VINTON Frontispiece. 

PORTRAIT  OF  LIEUTENANT  COLONEL  C.  A.  MAY,  FROM  A  DAGUER 
REOTYPE  BY  VAX  LOAN. 67 

PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL  WORTH,  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  BY  FENDE- 

RICH. 99 

PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL  WOOL,  FROM  AN  ORIGINAL  IN  POSSESSION 

OF  THE  FAMILY 136 

PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL  TWIGGS,  FROM  A  DRAWING  BY  MR.  CROOME.       174 

PORTRAIT  OF  COMMODORE  CONNER,  FROM  A  DAGUERREOTYPE  BY 

ROOT 226 

PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL  SCOTT,  FROM    THE  ORIGINAL  BY  HEALY.       240 

PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL  SHIELDS,  FROM  A  DAGUERREOTYPE  BY  VAN 

LOAN 249 

9 


LIST    OF    ENGRAVINGS    ON    WOOD. 

Chiefly  from  Drawings,  by  (Jroome  &  Devereaux. 

PAQE. 

Portrait  of  General  Taylor,     ......       Title. 

Head  Piece  to  Preface,  ......  3 

Tail  Piece  <l       .......  6 

Head  Piece  to  Table  of  Contents,         .  .  .  .  .  7 

Tail  Piece  «  "  .....  8 

Head  Piece  to  List  of  Embellishments,  ....  9 

Tail  Piece          «  ".....  12 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  I.,  Indian  Warfare,     .  .  .  .13 

Ornamental  Letter,      .  ....  13 

Defence  of  Fort  Harrison,        .  .          . .  .  .  .  .22 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  II.,       .  .  .  .  .  .26 

Ornamental  Letter,      .......  26 

Ornamental  Letter,      .......  28 

Battle  of  Okeechobee,  ....  .32 

Tail  Piece,       ........  37 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  III.,     ......  38 

Ornamental  Letter,       .......  33 

Corpus  Christi  and  the  American  Camp,          .  .  .  .44 

Point  Isabel,    ........  46 

A  Ranchero,  .......  50 

Fort  Brown,    ........  58 

American  Officer  and  Mexican  Guide,  ....  62 

Gallant  Action  of  Captain  Thornton,  .....  63 

Walker's  Expedition  setting  out,          .....  66 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  IV.,  Major  Ringgold,    .  .  .  .67 

Ornamental  Letter.     Flying  Artillery,  ....  67 

Death  of  Major  Ringgold,         .  .  .  .  .  .79 

Lieutenant  Blake  reconnoitering  at  Palo  Alto,  ...  86 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  V.,  General  Arista,      ....  87 

Ornamental  Letter,      .......  87 

General  Taylor  ordering  Captain  May  to  charge  with  his  dragoons,  .  90 

Duncan's  Battery  at  Rcsaca  de  la  Palma,        .  92 

Tail  Piece,  .  97 

10 


LIST  OF  EMBELLISHMENTS.  !  I 

PAO». 

Plan  of  the  Battles  o!  Palo  Alto  and  Kcsaca  dc  la  Palina,         .  98 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  VI.     City  of  Matamoras,         ...  99 

Orna menial  Letter,      .......  99 

Market  Place  of  Matamoras,    ......         102 

Tail  Piece,       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10(5 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  VII.     Paredes,  .  .  .  .107 

Ornamental  Letter,      .  .  .  '•> .  .  .107 

The  Citadel,  Bishop's  Palace  and  Independence  Hill,  .  .         107 

General  Twiggs,          .  .  .  .  .  .  .Ill 

U ishop's  Palace,  Monterey,      .  .  .  .  .  .113 

General  Worth  at  the  Siege  of  Monterey.    The  Bishop's  Palace  in  the 

distance,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .lift 

(Jerieral  Ampudia,       .......         130 

Tail  Piece,      ......  .135 

Plan  of  the  Siege  of  Monterey,  ...  .         1 30 

Mead  Piece  to  Chapter  VIIL,  .  .  .137 

Ornamental  Letter.     Figure  of  Peace,  with  Olive  Branch.      .  .         137 

i-'anta  Fe,  New  Mexico,  .  .  .  .  .  .138 

Monterey,  Alta  California,        .  .  .  .  .141 

Tail  Piece,       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         1 60 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  IX.,     .  .  .  .  .  .161 

Ornamental  Letter,      .  .  .  .  .  .  .101 

Monterey,  from  the  Bishop's  Palace,    .  .  .  .  .161 

General  Santa  Anna,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .102 

Mexicans  drinking  Santa  Anna's  health,          .  .  .  .167 

General  Taylor  taking  leave  of  the  Veterans,  .  .  .  .171 

Tail  Piece,       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .173 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  X.     Clay's  Monument.  .  .  .174 

Ornamental  Letter,      .  .  .  .  .  .  .174 

Major  Dix  rallying  the  Indiana  men,  .  .  .  .  .180 

General  Taylor  at  Bucna  Vista,  .....         182 

Battle  of  Buena  Vista,  ......         184 

Plan  of  the  Battle  of  Buena  Vista,      .  .  .  .  .187 

Interview  of  Generals  Taylor  and  Wool,          ....         193 

Death  of  Colonel  Clay,  .  .  .  .  .  .195 

Death  of  Colonel  Yell,  .  .  ...  .  1 97 

Tail  Piece.     Drinking  Scene.  .  .  .  .  .198 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  XI.     Mexicans  wounded  at  Buena  Vista,       .         199 
Ornamental  Letter,      .....  .199 

Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  A.  May,  .  .  199 

Tail  Piece,      .  220 


12  LIST  OF  EMBELLISHMENTS. 


TAOFI 


Head  Piece  to  Chapter  XII.,   .  .221 

Ornamental  Letter,      .             »  ^j                             t    .  *          .             .  221 
Tail  Piece,       .             .        |  .   '         .             .             .             .             .224 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  XIII.     Castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  .             .  225 

Ornamental  Letter,      .......  225 

Tampico,         .             .             .             .             .         •   .             .             .  231 

Landing  of  the  American  Troops  at  Vera  Cruz,           .             .             .  232 

Seige  of  Vera  Cruz,                .             .             .             .             .             .  244 

Tail  Piece,       ........  248 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  XIV.,               .            V+^        .             .             .  249 

Ornamental  Letter,      •,'.•!"                     •             •             •             .  249 

Battle  of  Sierra  Gordo,                                       .             ..            .             .  252 

Jalapa,             .             .**;.        ......  253 

Tail  Piece.     Sentinel,                                        .  200 

Head  Piece  to  Chapter  XV.     General  Taylor's  Kitchen,                      .  261 
Ornamental  Letter,      .                                        .                                        .261 

Tail  Piece,       .                                       ...  273 

Appendix,        .                                        .                                        .  274 

Head  Piece  to  Appendix,         ......  277 

Ornamental  Letter,      .......  277 

Tail  Piece,       .  346 


CHAPTER  I. 


3Uf*««Jlertice  in  tfu 


cf  m& 


EXT  in  importance  to  the  interest  excited 
by  the  performance  of  heroic  deeds,  is  the 
curiosity  prevalent  among  all  classes,  to 
learn  something  of  the  life,  character,  and 
general  qualifications  of  the  men  who  have 
shared  the  glories  or  perils  of  those  deeds. 
In  most  cases  this  feeling  is  stronger  or 
weaker  in  proportion  to  the  approximation 
of  the  actions  to  our  own  age  and  country, 
as  well  as  to  their  national  importance. 
If  the  action  be  the  gaining  of  a  battle,  or  the  preservation  of  public 
honor,  and  it  take  place  now,  not  only  is  the  cry  of  exultation  loud, 
but  with  it  comes  an  imperative  demand  for  the  history  of  its 
achievers. 

A  prominent  illustration  of  this  principle  is  now  before  the  American 
people.  At  a  time  when  hosts  of  armed  foes  surrounded  a  handful 
of  men,  whose  escape  appeared  utterly  impossible,  and  when  a  whole 


14          LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

country  was  filled  with  dejection  and  anxiety  for  the  result,  one 
master-spirit  suddenly  arose,  and  by  a  series  of  the  most  rapid  and 
brilliant  strokes,  retrieved  his  army,  sustained  the  national  honor, 
and  won  for  himself  immortal  laurels. 

The  man  whose  career  has  thus  burst  like  a  meteor  on  the  national 
horizon,  has  every  eye  concentrated  upon  him  with  wonder  and 
admiration  ;  and  with  these  feelings  is  mingled  another — a  desire  to 
know  something  of  his  character  and  history. 

The  ancestors  of  General  TAYLOR  emigrated  from  England  nearly 
two  centuries  ago,  and  settled  in  the  eastern  part  of  Virginia.  His 
father,  Richard  Taylor,  was  born  in  that  state,  where  he  resided 
until  about  1790.  Zachary  was  his  second  son,  and  was  born  in 
November,  1784,  in  Orange  county,  Virginia ;  he  is  therefore  a  native 
of  the  same  state  which  gave  birth  to  Washington,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Harrison,  and  many  other  illustrious  Americans.  Besides  Zachary, 
his  father  had  four  sons,  Hancock,  George,  William,  and  Joseph, 
and  three  daughters,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  and  Emily. 

Richard  Taylor  seems  to  have  possessed  a  full  share  of  the  rest 
less  spirit  of  active  adventure  which  distinguished  the  first  settlers  of 
America.  Accordingly,  in  a  little  while  after  Boone  had  explored 
Kentucky,  we  find  him  journeying  to  that  wilderness.  Here  he 
was  not  only  unappalled  by  the  horrors  of  a  country  called  by  the 
natives  the  dark  and  bloody  ground,  and  by  his  hair-breadth  escapes 
from  the  Indians,  but  he  actually  formed  the  design  of  penetrating  to 
New  Orleans  on  foot.  This  he  accomplished  alone,  through  the 
forests  and  wilderness  stretching  along  the  Mississippi,  and  returned 
by  ship  to  Virginia.  When  the  revolution  broke  out,  the  courage 
and  zeal  which  he  had  manifested  in  resisting  the  encroachments  of 
the  mother  country,  caused  him  to  receive  an  appointment  as  colonel 
in  the  Continental  army,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  performed  in 
a  manner  that  fulfilled  the  high  hopes  which  had  been  entertained 
of  him.  He  fought  in  several  of  the  most  important  battles  of  the 
north,  and  among  others,  with  Washington  at  Trenton.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  retired  to  his  farm  in  Virginia,  where  he  remained 
until  about  the  year  1790,  when  he  emigrated  with  his  family  to 
Kentucky.  In  this  journey  he  was  accompanied  by  Colonels 
Croghan  and  Bullitt,both  of  which  names  became  afterwards  famous 


EARLY    LIFE.  15 

in  the  annals  of  their  state.  They  settled  upon  a  spot*  noted  for 
the  long  and  peculiarly  bloody  wars  of  the  Indians,  and  these  brave 
men  soon  found  an  ample  field  in  which  to  display  their  courage  and 
hardihood.  In  the  burnings  and  scalpings  which  happened  almost 
weekly,  Colonel  Taylor  so  distinguished  himself  that  he  was  soon 
looked  upon  as  the  champion  of  the  white  settlers,  and  the  bulwark 
of  their  village.  After  a  long  time  the  attacks  of  the  savages  became 
less  frequent,  and  the  population  had  shaken  off  their  fear  at  the 
Indian  name,  and  began  to  assume  the  appearance  of  a  regular  com 
munity.  Still  the  usefulness  of  Colonel  Taylor  did  not  cease  with 
the  causes  which  had  drawn  it  forth.  He  became  as  distinguished 
a  citizen  as  he  had  formerly  been  a  soldier,  and  was  entrusted  with 
the  duties  of  several  very  important  and  responsible  stations.  He 
was  one  of  the  framers  of  the  constitution  of  Kentucky  ;  represented 
Jefferson  county  and  Louisville  city  for  many  years  in  both  branches 
of  the  state  legislature,  and  was  a  member  of  the  electoral  colleges 
which  voted  for  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe,  and  Clay. 

Such  are  a  few  points  in  the  history  of  a  man  whose  name  will 
ever  be  dear  to  the  American  people,  as  the  father  of  the  conqueror 
of  Mexico.  All  allow  him  to  have  been  of  unflinching  perseverance, 
indomitable  courage,  and  zeal  and  ability  to  perform  the  duties  of  the 
various  offices  and  stations  which  he  was  called  to  fill. 

Under  the  parentage  of  such  a  man  it  is  nothing  singular  that  young 
Zachary  should  early  have  imbibed  a  taste  for  military  life.  We  are 
told  that  such  was  the  case  ;  and  the  common  occurrences  which  daily 
surrounded  him  tended  to  foster  this  feeling.  His  nursery  tales 
were  stories  of  Indian  butchery  which  had  but  recently  been  perpe 
trated  upon  the  neighbors  of  his  parents ;  and  as  he  grew  larger,  he 
often  heard  the  shriek  of  the  maiden  and  innocent,  the  sharp  crack 
of  the  rifle  that  announced  their  death,  and  then  the  fierce  conflict 
between  the  father  and  his  savage  foe.  He  learned  to  barricade  his 
own  door,  and  spend  the  night  in  watchful  intensity,  while  looking 
out  upon  nothing  but  gloomy  forests,  and  some  burning  cottage  far 
in  the  distance. 

*  The  colonel's  farm  adjoined  that  of  Colonel  Croghan's  father,  well  known 
as  Locust  Grove ;  and  the  warmest  friendship  existed  between  the  two  families, 
arising  not  only  from  ties  of  relationship,  but  from  congenial  feelings  and  habits. 


16 


LIFE  OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


At  the  age  of  six  years  Zachary  was  placed  at  school,  under  the 
direction  of  a  Mr.  Ayers.  Even  here  he  was  in  continual  danger 
of  the  tomahawk,  and  many  of  the  larger  scholars  were  obliged  to  go 
armed.  While  here,  young  Zachary  became  distinguished  among 
his  companions  for  his  activity,  decision  and  bluntness  of  character, 
modesty  of  demeanor,  and  general  intelligence.  These  are  shining 
qualities  in  a  school-boy,  and  he  soon  became  the  acknowledged  and 
general  favorite  of  a  large  portion  of  his  comrades.  From  a  child,  his 
mind  possessed  a  keen  relish  for  military  narratives,  and  in  youth  he 
began  to  long  for  an  opportunity  to  display  himself  in  the  field. 
There  still  remain  of  him  many  anecdotes,  all  tending  to  illustrate 
his  fondness  for  activity  and  adventure. 

The  schoolmaster  of  General  Taylor  is  still  living  in  the  town  of 
Preston,  near  Norwich,  Connecticut,  where  he  was  born.  Though 
more  than  seventy  years  of  age,  he  takes  great  pleasure  in  listening 
to  the  achievements  of  his  pupil,  and  in  recounting  anecdotes  of  him 
when  a  school-boy.  He  represents  him  to  have  been  an  excellent 
scholar,  possessing  an  active  and  inquisitive  mind,  studious  in  his 
habits,  though  of  sanguine  temperament,  quick  of  apprehension,  and 
promising  fair  for  a  career  of  usefulness  in  life.  He  had  mental 
qualities  of  thoughtfulness,  judgment,  shrewdness,  and  stability,  not 
often  foiind  united  in  youth.  But  a  peculiar  trait  of  his  character, 
and  one  not  often  connected  with  a  sanguine  temperament,  was  firm 
ness.  This,  united  with  the  above  named  qualities,  is  an  important 
characteristic  in  a  soldier.  Upon  many  occasions,  sudden  and 
warm  impulses,  when  properly  directed  by  judgment  and  firmness, 
have  produced  grand  achievements  ;  and  though  a  man  may  be  brave 
to  an  eminent  degree,  yet  a  phlegmatic  temperament  is  calculated  to 
restrain  the  exercise  of  his  bravery  at  a  time  when  it  might  lead  to 
glorious  results. 

Upon  leaving  school,  young  Taylor  continued  the  exercise  of 
those  sports  and  labors  which  suited  the  ardor  of  his  temperament. 
He  often  performed  feats  of  strength  and  difficulty  which  would  ex 
cite  the  wonder  and  applause  of  friends,  and  rivalry  of  others.  His 
fondness  for  military  life  has  been  mentioned,  and  it  is  related  that 
even  before  he  commenced  a  course  of  rigid  tactical  instruction,  he 
might  often  be  seen  with  his  comrades  practising  the  different  evolu- 


EARLY  LIFE.  17 

tions  of  a  company-drill,  with  as  much  gravity  and  emulation  as 
though  under  orders  before  an  enemy. 

An  opportunity  was  not  long  wanting  for  the  exercise  of  the  talent 
thus  gradually  developing.  The  difficulties  between  the  United 
States  and  England,  relative  to  interruptions  of  our  commerce  and 
the  impressment  of  seamen,  now  presented  so  alarming  an  aspect, 
that  an  early  rupture  was  confidently  anticipated.  This  was  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  many  of  the  wild,  young  spirits  of  the  west 
to  wreak  their  vengeance  against  an  enemy,  who,  though  respected 
in  time  of  peace,  was  the  object  of  bitter  animosity  in  war.  Volunteer 
companies  were  organized  in  every  part  of  the  Union,  and  the 
"citizen  soldiery"  became  an  object  of  great  national  importance. 

While  these  events  were  in  progress,  the  whole  country  was 
electrified  by  the  intelligence  that  a  British  armed  vessel,  the  Leopard, 
had  fired  into  the  American  frigate  Chesapeake,  killing  three  of  her 
men,  wounding  eighteen,  and  subsequently  carrying  away  four 
others  of  her  crew.  This  increased  the  popular  indignation 
against  Great  Britain,  as  well  as  the  spirit  of  determined  resistance 
to  her  attacks. 

Upon  reception  of  the  news  of  this  affair,  young  Taylor  applied 
for  a  commission  in  the  army,  and  was  appointed  by  President 
Jefferson  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  7th  regiment  of  infantry.  This 
step  was  highly  pleasing  to  his  father,  who  had  been  instrumental  in 
its  accomplishment. 

Meanwhile  the  difficulties  between  the  two  countries  daily  in 
creased.  The  causes  of  these  difficulties  are  generally  known  ;  but 
it  would  be  well  to  revert  to  them  for  a  few  moments,  in  order 
thoroughly  to  understand  the  position  of  our  western  army,  and 
especially  the  circumstances  attending  the  defence  of  Fort  Harrison. 

England  having  long  been  the  ruling  maritime  power  of  the  world, 
made  it  part  of  her  policy  to  watch  with  jealous  vigilance  the  move 
ments  of  every  navy  which  ploughed  the  waters.  During  the  war 
between  her  and  the  French  Directory,  not  only  was  this  vigilance 
redoubled  upon  the  vessels  of  the  hostile  nation,  but  even  upon 
neutrals.  In  1793  she  issued  an  "order  in  council,"  by  virtue  of 
which  "  all  vessels  laden  wholly  or  in  part  with  bread  stuffs,  bound 
to  any  port  in  France,  or  places  occupied  by  French  armies,  were 

3 


18  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

required  to  be  carried  into  England,  and  their  cargoes  either  there  dis 
posed  of,  or  security  given  that  they  should  be  sold  only  in  the  ports 
of  a  country  in  amity  with  Great  Britain."  The  same  year  another 
order  was  issued,  directing  "  all  vessels  laden  with  goods,  the  pro 
duce  of  any  colony  of  France,  or  carrying  provisions  or  supplies  for 
such  colony,  to  be  seized  and  brought  in  for  adjudication."  At 
the  same  time  she  claimed  the  right  to  muster  the  crews  of  all  neutral 
vessels,  and  take  from  them  for  her  own  use  any  sailors  who  had 
been  born  in  England,  or  who  were  believed  to  have  been  born 
there.  This  was  called  impressment,  and  under  its  sanction 
hundreds  of  American  citizens  were  forced  into  the  British  navy  as 
English  sailors.  In  1806  England  declared  the  whole  sea-coast 
bordering  on  the  British  Channel  in  a  state  of  blockade,  and  in 
November  of  the  same  year,  that  "  all  the  ports  and  places  of  France, 
her  allies,  or  any  other  country  at  war  with  England,  or  from  which 
the  British  flag  was  excluded,  and  all  their  colonies,  to  be  in  a  state 
of  blockade  ;  and  all  commerce  in  articles  the  produce  or  manufacture 
of  such  countries  to  be  unlawful."  The  result  of  these  proceedings 
was  the  war  of  1812. 

The  commencement  of  hostilities  found  the  Americans  but  ill 
prepared  for  a  successful  struggle,  and  perhaps  no  part  of  their  vast 
area  was  more  defenceless  than  the  Northwestern  territory.  The 
settlements  were  thin  and  widely  separated,  and  from  the  extent  of 
ground  even  a  large  army  could  not  act  so  as  to  protect  and  cover 
all.  The  Indians  east  of  the  Mississippi  numbered  100,000,  mostly 
hostile  to  the  United  States,  and  from  that  number,  at  least  10,000 
warriors  could  be  mustered.  These  were  connected  with  the  vast 
hordes  west  of  that  river,  and  with  about  one^third  of  their  number 
who  resided  in  Canada.  With  almost  all  these  tribes  the  British 
had  formed  treaties  of  friendship,  and  had  established  stations  in 
different  parts  of  their  territory,  from  which  they  were  supplied  with 
ammunition  and  military  stores.  Their  great  chief,  Tecumseh, 
had  long  been  perfecting  a  scheme  by  which  he  hoped  to  unite  all 
the  Indians  from  the  great  lakes  to  the  gulf,  in  one  confederation, 
whose  efforts  were  to  be  directed  against  the  western  settlers.  Be 
sides  all  this,  the  proximity  to  the  British  settlements  of  Canada 
and  New  Britain  afforded  the  enemy  every  facility  for  precipitating 


SERVICE  IN  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  19 

their  troops  upon  a  frontier  where  they  would  meet  with  scarcely  a 
tenable  fort. 

With  a  view  to  defend  this  territory,  and  excite,  if  possible,  the 
Canadians  to  revolt,  William  Hull,  governor  of  the  Michigan  terri 
tory,  was  appointed  a  brigadier  general,  with  the  command  of  the 
forces  to  operate  on  Canada.  He  joined  the  army  at  Detroit,  and 
on  the  12 tli  of  July,  1812,  made  a  descent  upon  Canada.  Upon 
his  entrance  into  that  province,  he  published  a  proclamation,  inviting 
all  the  inhabitants  to  leave  the  British  standard,  and  denouncing 
heavy  penalties  to  all  those  who  should  either  oppose  his  progress 
or  join  the  Indians.  This  invitation  was  attended  with  considerable 
success  ;  but  while  his  allies  were  looking  for  some  active  operations, 
the  general  suddenly  recrossed  the  river  to  Detroit.  Here  he  was 
soon  afterward  attacked  by  General  Brock,  governor  of  Canada,  and 
to  the  utter  astonishment  of  his  whole  army,  surrendered  the  entire 
command  into  the  hands  of  his  antagonist. 

The  loss  of  the  whole  northwestern  army,  the  fortress  of  Detroit, 
and  the  military  posts  of  that  region,  together  with  the  whole  territory 
of  Michigan  within  sixty  days  after  the  declaration  of  war,  was 
a  subject  of  universal  astonishment  and  alarm.  In  consequence  of 
it,  the  great  body  of  Indians,  ever  ready  to  join  the  successful  party, 
flocked  to  the  British  standard,  prepared  to  renew  their  ravages  with 
increased  severity.  The  state  of  Ohio,  and  the  region  now  forming 
Indiana  and  Illinois  became  dangerously  exposed.  Large  numbers 
of  Indians  were  contained  within  their  borders,  who,  in  connection 
with  those  without,  would  now  be  induced  to  join  the  enemy.  Had 
the  army  under  General  Hull  been  successful,  and  the  British  depot 
at  Maiden  broken  up,  the  savages,  deprived  of  their  supplies,  would 
have  been  obliged  to  remain  neutral,  or  have  been  awed  into  sub 
mission. 

The  alarm  occasioned  by  this  disaster  did  not,  however,  hinder 
the  Americans  from  adopting  measures  to  retrieve  it.  Volunteers 
flocked  to  the  standard  of  their  country  in  great  numbers,  burning 
with  zeal  to  revenge  its  disgrace.  Aided  by  the  indefatigable  exer 
tions  of  the  governors  of  the  territories,  their  army  soon  amounted 
to  eight  thousand  men,  who  were  placed  under  the  command  of 
General  Harrison,  governor  of  Indiana,  and  a  brigadier  in  the 


20  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

United  States  service,  in  whose  talents  and  experience  the  western 
country  had  the  most  perfect  confidence.  Their  object  was  to  sub 
due  the  Indians  of  the  west,  and  to  recover  what  had  been  lost  at 
Detroit. 

Such  was  the  origin  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  its  commencement 
in  the  Northwestern  territory.  At  the  very  first  stroke  the  American 
loss  was  heavy,  and  to  reinspire  that  confidence  in  the  efficiency  of 
their  arms,  which  the  nation  had  ever  felt,  it  became  necessary  for 
every  leading  officer,  however  small  his  command,  to  act  with  con 
summate  prudence  and  bravery.  Small  forts  were  scattered  around 
in  various  directions,  and  the  defence  of  these  was  entrusted  only 
to  those  in  whom  General  Harrison  had  the  most  perfect  confidence. 
One  of  these  was  a  small  and  weak  stockade  fort,  called  in  honor 
of  the  commanding  general,  Fort  Harrison.  It  was  situated  on  the 
Wabash  river,  in  Indiana,  the  very  heart  of  the  Indian  country,  and 
had  for  some  time  been  threatened  by  the  Miami  and  other  large 
tribes.  The  selection  of  a  commander  for  this  station  was  a  subject 
of  considerable  importance,  but  it  at  length  devolved  upon  Captain 
Taylor.  In  this  appointment  the  general  was  no  doubt  influenced 
by  the  success  of  Taylor  in  his  many  previous  skirmishes  with  the 
Indians,  for  which  he  had  been  advanced  from  the  rank  of  lieutenant 
to  that  of  captain.  This  was  under  Governor  Shelby,  previous  to 
the  commencement  of  hostilities  with  Great  Britain, 

Upon  assuming  the  command  of  Fort  Harrison,  Taylor  not  only 
found  the  works  in  a  miserable  condition,  but  also  that  of  the  small  garri 
son  of  fifty  men,  all  excepting  about  twenty  were  disabled  by  sickness. 
Notwithstanding  these  discouraging  circumstances,  he  set  himself 
earnestly  to  work  in  order  to  render  the  fort  defensible.  The  principal 
defences  consisted  of  an  upper  and  lower  blockhouse,  and  a  fort  with 
two  bastions.  These  he  strengthened  by  other  small  fortifications,  and 
especially  by  judicious  arrangements  of  his  fire  arms,  and  took  every 
measure  to  supply  his  men  with  ample  provisions  of  food  and  am 
munition,  and  to  inspire  them  with  confidence  in  themselves. 

The  first  indications  of  an  attack  were  manifested  on  Thursday, 
the  3d  of  September.  A  delegation  from  the  Miami  Indians  then 
informed  the  captain  that  the  "  Prophet,"  brother  of  Tecumseh,  was 
advancing  with  his  party  toward  the  fort,  and  that  the  Miamis  were 


SERVICE  IN  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  21 

about  to  retire  from  that  region.  On  the  same  evening  two  young 
citizens  were  making  hay  at  the  distance  of  about  four  hundred 
yards  from  the  fort.  Soon  after  retreat  beating,  four  guns  were 
heard  in  that  direction,  and  the  garrison  were  immediately  impressed 
with  the  belief  that  the  men  had  been  surprised  and  murdered  by 
the  Indians.  On  account  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour  it  was  not 
thought  prudent  to  search  for  them  then,  and  their  non-appearance 
after  a  long  and  anxious  watch  convinced  the  captain  that  his  suspi 
cions  of  their  fate  were  correct.  Nothing  further  transpired  that 
night,  and  the  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock  a  corporal  with  a  small 
party  was  detached  to  investigate  the  result  of  the  firing,  if  it  could 
be  done  without  too  much  risk  of  being  drawn  into  an  ambuscade. 
The  corporal  soon  sent  a  messenger  back  to  the  fort,  informing  the 
commander  that  he  had  found  the  two  dead  bodies,  and  requesting 
further  orders.  A  cart  and  oxen  were  sent  out,  and  the  murdered 
men  brought  tothe  fort.  Each  had  been  shot  with  two  balls,  scalped, 
and  horribly  mangled.  They  were  buried  within  the  fort.  This 
circumstance  caused  the  garrison  to  redouble  their  vigilance.  Addi 
tional  sentinels  were  posted,  and  the  officers  of  the  guard  directed  to 
walk  the  round  all  night,  in  order  to  prevent,  if  possible,  a  surprise. 

Late  on  the  evening  of  the  4th,  an  old  man  named  Joseph  Lenar, 
with  between  thirty  and  forty  Indians,  arrived  from  the  Prophet's 
town  with  a  white  flag.  Among  these  were  ten  women,  and  the 
men  were  the  chiefs  from  the  different  tribes  composing  the  Prophet's 
party.  The  object  of  this  mission,  as  stated  by  a  Shawnee  who 
spoke  English,  was  to  obtain  another  interview  on  the  following 
morning,  and  to  buy  provisions.  There  could  be  no  doubt,  how 
ever,  that  their  true  object  was  to  spy  the  strength  of  the  garrison, 
and  throw  them  off  their  guard.  Accordingly,  after  retreat  beating, 
the  men's  arms  were  examined,  and  their  cartridges  completed  to 
sixteen  rounds  per  man.  So  miserable,  however,  was  the  health 
of  the  soldiers,  that  the  captain  despaired  of  a  successful  defence  in 
case  of  an  attack  from  a  large  force— even  his  small  guard  of  six 
privates  and  two  non-commissioned  officers  were  not  able  to  do  ser 
vice  every  day. 

Soon  after  the  departure  of  the  Indians  the  captain  was  obliged 
to  retire  to  rest  in  consequence  of  debility  from  a  late  violent  attack 


22         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

of  fever.  His  sleep  was  short.  Before  retiring  he  had  cautioned 
the  guard  to  be  vigilant,  and  take  every  precaution  to  prevent  sur 
prise,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  he  was  awakened  by  a  shot  from  one 
of  the  sentinels.  He  immediately  arose,  and  ordered  each  man  to 
his  post.  At  this  moment  the  orderly  sergeant  having  charge  of  the 
upper  blockhouse,  called  out  that  a  body  of  Indians  had  fired  the 
lower  one.  Under  cover  of  the  night  they  had  accomplished  this, 
unseen  by  the  garrison,  and  they  now  opened  a  pretty  active  fire, 
which  was  returned  by  the  Americans.  The  cry  of  Jire  threw  the 
whole  fort  into  confusion  ;  the  soldiers  gave  up  all  for  lost,  when  they 
saw  the  flames  communicate  with  a  quantity  of  whisky  in  the  block 
house,  and  rush  up  in  wide  sheets  toward  the  barracks,  which  made 
part  of  the  fortifications.  Some  women  and  children  who  were  in 
the  fort  ran  among  the  garrison,  imploring  for  succor,  and  filling  the 
air  with  their  lamentations.  This,  with  the  howlings  of  hundreds 
of  Indians,  rendered  that  night-scene  one  sufficient  to  appal  the 
stoutest  heart.  But  amid  all  this  uproar  one  man  remained  cool 
and  determined, — that  man  was  the  young  commander  of  the  fort, 
and  to  his  self-possession  was  owing  the  safety  of  the  garrison.  Im 
mediately  on  perceiving  the  flames,  he  ordered  water  to  be  brought 
from  the  well  in  buckets,  but  in  consequence  of  debility  and  the  in 
fluence  of  terror  upon  the  soldiers,  these  orders  were  but  languidly 
executed.  He  then  informed  the  men  that  their  only  means  of 
safety  was  to  keep  the  end  of  the  fortification  nearest  the  blockhouse 
continually  wet,  that  by  so  doing  not  only  might  the  whole  row  of 
buildings  be  saved,  but  an  opening  of  only  eighteen  or  twenty  feet 
left  for  the  Indians  to  enter  after  the  house  was  consumed,  and,  that 
even  here  their  entrance  might  be  prevented  by  the  erection  of  a 
temporary  breastwork.  The  chance  of  escape  from  imminent 
danger  inspired  the  men  with  a  firmness  bordering  on  desperation. 
Under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Clark  those  who  were  able,  mounted  the 
tops  of  the  houses  amid  a  shower  of  balls,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
had  thrown  off  the  greater  part  of  the  roof  nearest  to  the  burning 
building.  This  was  done  with  the  loss  of  but  one  man  killed  and 
two  wounded.  During  this  time  two  of  the  men  leaped  from  the 
pickets  and  ran  toward  the  enemy.  Their  cowardice  was  but  ill 
rewarded,— one  of  them  was  killed,  and  the  other  returned  before 


4%    L, 

f 


SERVICE  IN  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  23 

day  to  the  gate,  where  he  begged  "for  God's  sake"  to  be  admitted. 
Not  being  recognized,  his  attempt  was  supposed  to  be  a  stratagem  of 
the  Indians  to  gain  admittance  into  the  fort,  and  he  was  fired  upon. 
The  shot  not  taking  effect,  he  ran  round  to  the  other  bastion  where 
his  voice  was  recognized,  and  he  was  directed  by  Dr.  Clark  to  lie 
down  close  to  the  pickets  behind  an  empty  barrel.  He  there  re 
mained  until  daylight,  when  he  was  admitted.  His  arm  was  broken 
in  a  shocking  manner,  and  he  was  otherwise  greatly  mangled. 

While  a  part  of  the  garrison  were  thus  demolishing  the  roof,  the 
men  below  were  using  every  exertion  to  prevent  the  destruction  of 
the  barracks.  They  were  several  times  on  fire,  and  extinguished 
only  by  the  most  active  efforts.  During  the  whole  time,  and  while 
laboring  at  their  breastwork,  the  men  were  exposed  to  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  Indians,  as  well  as  to  a  shower  of  arrows  which  rained 
around  them  in  great  quantities.  Before  morning  the  work  was  ad 
vanced  to  the  height  of  a  man,  with  the  loss  of  but  one  soldier  killed. 

The  approach  of  daylight  enabled  the  Americans  to  aim  with 
more  precision  and  success,  and  at  six  o'clock  their  fire  had  become 
BO  destructive  as  to  cause  the  Indians  to  remove  from  the  reach  of 
their  guns.  At  this  disappointment  of  their  expected  booty,  the 
savages  became  furious  ;  and  driving  up  the  horses  and  a  number  of 
hogs  belonging  to  the  citizens,  they  shot  them  in  front  of  the  fort. 
They  also  seized  all  the  cattle  belonging  to  private  individuals, 
amounting  to  sixty-five  head,  together  with  the  oxen,  which  were 
public  property. 

As  the  enemy  continued  in  sight  that  day,  the  American  com 
mander  was  busily  occupied  in  repairing  the  damages  of  the  fort. 
The  vacancy  caused  by  the  burning  of  the  blockhouse  was  filled  up 
by  a  strong  row  of  pickets,  obtained  by  demolishing  the  guard  house. 
The  other  defences  were  also  strengthened,  and  provision  made 
against  a  second  attempt  to  fire  the  buildings. 

The  Indians,  however,  had  been  so  severely  handled  that  they 
did  not  consider  it  advisable  to  renew  the  attack.  They  continued 
within  sight  until  the  morning  of  the  6th,  when  the  garrison  were 
relieved  of  their  presence.  The  loss  of  the  Indians  had  been  heavy, 
but  as  they  were  very  numerous,  each  dead  body  was  carried  from 
the  field.  Notwithstanding  the  apparent  friendliness  of  the  Miamis 


24          LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

on  the  evening  of  the  assault,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  the  whole 
of  their  tribe  was  among  the  Prophet's  party. 

After  the  attack  the  garrison  were  obliged  to  subsist  upon  a  scanty 
supply  of  green  corn,  all  their  provisions  having  been  intercepted  or 
destroyed  by  the  enemy.  Captain  Taylor  used  great  exertions  to  for 
ward  despatches  to  General  Harrison,  but  as  every  road  was  guarded 
by  strong  parties  of  Indians,  his  messengers  were  obliged  to  return. 
The  following  letter  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  difficulties  under 
which  he 'labored. 

"  Fort  Harrison,  Sept.  13/7*,  1812. 

"  DEAR  SIR: — I  wrote  to  you  on  the  10th  instant,  giving  you  an 
account  of  an  attack  on  this  place,  as  well  as  my  situation,  which 
account  I  attempted  to  send  by  water ;  but  the  two  men  whom  I 
despatched  in  a  canoe  after  night  found  the  river  so  well  guarded 
that  they  were  obliged  to  return.  The  Indians  had  built  a  fire  on 
the  bank  of  the  river  a  short  distance  below  the  garrison,  which  gave 
them  an  opportunity  of  seeing  any  craft  that  might  attempt  to  pass, 
and  were  waiting  with  a  canoe  ready  to  intercept  it.  I  expect  the 
fort  as  well  as  the  road  to  Vincennes  is  as  well  or  better  watched 
than  the  river.  But  my  situation  compels  me  to  make  one  other 
attempt  by  land,  and  my  orderly  sergeant  and  one  other  man  set  out 
to-night,  with  strict  orders  to  avoid  the  road  in  the  day-time,  and 
depend  entirely  on  the  woods,  although  neither  of  them  have  ever 
been  in  Vincennes  by  land,  nor  do  they  know  any  thing  of  the 
country ;  but  I  am  in  hopes  that  they  will  reach  you  in  safety.  I 
send  them  with  great  reluctance,  from  their  ignorance  of  the  woods. 
I  think  it  very  probable  there  is  a  large  party  of  Indians  waylaying 
the  road  between  this  and  Vincennes,  likely  about  the  Narrows,  for 
the  purpose  of  intercepting  any  party  -that  may  be  coming  to  this 
place,  as  the  cattle  they  got  here  will  supply  them  plentifully  with 
provisions  for  some  time  to  come.  Please,  &c., 

"  His  excellency,  Governor  Harrison."  Z.  TAYLOR." 

At  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  letter  Colonel  Russell  was  with 
in  fifteen  miles  of  Fort  Harrison,  with  a  reinforcement  of  six  hundred 
mounted  rangers,  and  five  hundred  infantry.  He  arrived  on  the 
16th,  to  the  utter  surprise  of  Captain  Taylor,  who  had  not  heard 


SERVICE  IN  THE  WAR  OF  1812.  25 

of  even  his  approach.  Some  time  after  the  garrison  was  further 
reinforced  hy  about  4000  men  under  Major  General  Hopkins. 

On  the  llth  of  November  the  army  left  Fort  Harrison  on  an  ex 
pedition  to  the  Prophet's  town,  which  they  reached  on  the  19th. 
They  destroyed  the  town,  which  consisted  of  about  forty  huts,  and 
the  Kickapoo  village  of  one  hundred  and  sixty,  together  with  all  the 
standing  corn.  They  also  reconnoitered  the  surrounding  country, 
and  constructed  several  works  of  defence.  In  every  operation 
Captain  Taylor  took  an  efficient  part,  and  we  find  him  mentioned 
in  the  despatches  of  Hopkins  as  an  officer  who  had  rendered 
"prompt  and  effectual  support  in  every  instance." 

On  his  return  from  this  expedition  Taylor  found  a  package  for 
him  from  the  seat  of  government.  This,  on  being  opened,  was  dis 
covered  to  contain  a  commission  from  President  Madison,  conferring 
on  him  the  rank  of  brevet  major,  as  a  reward  for  his  gallant  defence 
of  Fort  Harrison,  of  which  it  bore  the  date.  This  is  said-  to  have 
been  the  first  brevet  ever  conferred  in  the  American  army. 

Major  Taylor  continued  actively  engaged  in  the  war  of  1812 
until  its  close,  although  in  consequence  of  his  not  being  entrusted 
with  any  other  separate  command  it  is  difficult  to  trace  his  progress. 
The  skill  and  bravery,  however,  which  he  displayed  in  the  defence 
of  Fort  Harrison,  inspired  both  his  comrades  and  the  country  with 
confidence  in  his  superior  abilities  as  an  officer ;  and  indeed  such  a 
defence  under  the  trying  difficulties  of  desertion,  conflagration,  and  a 
savage  foe,  to  whose  numbers  his  own  were  but  a  handful,  was 
sufficient  to  establish  his  reputation  as  a  soldier  of  sterling  qualities.* 

*  Early  in  life  General  Taylor  married  a  lady  of  Virginia,  whose  family 
emigrated  to  Kentucky,  and  who  was  some  relation  to  his  father.  The  general 
is  related  either  by  marriage  or  blood  to  many  of  the  noblest  families  of 
America — Preston,  Gaines,  Clay,  Pendleton,  Monroe,  and  others.  He  has 
had  five  children,  one  of  which  died  in  early  life.  The  eldest  daughter  is  the 
lady  of  Dr.  Ward,  a  surgeon  of  high  standing  in  the  army.  The  second, 
Sarah  Knox,  called  after  General  Knox,  and  always  known  by  her  second 
name,  married  Lieutenant  Jefferson  Davis,  now  a  brigadier,  and  late  member 
of  Congress  from  Mississippi.  She  was  extremely  accomplished,  both  in  per 
son  and  education,  but  survived  her  marriage  only  a  few  months.  Elizabeth, 
(known  only  as  "Betty  Taylor,")  was  educated  at  Madame  Grelaud's,  in 
Philadelphia,  and  is  now  with  her  mother  at  Baton  Rouge.  Richard,  the  only 
son,  about  twenty-four  years  old,  was  many  years  at  Cambridge,  but  is  now 
also  at  Baton  Rouge. 

4 


CHAPTER  II. 


jberbict  in  tf>« 


FTER  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  in 
1815,  Major  Taylor  remained  in 
the  West  for  several  years,  moving 
from  one  post  to  another,  as  the 
interest  of  the  service  called  him. 
In  1832,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  colonel  ;  and  in  an  early 
stage  of  the  war  in  Florida  he  was 
ordered  to  that  country. 

This  war  is  remarkable  for  its 
obstinacy,  and  the  singular  manner 
in  which  it  was  conducted.  The 
man  who  had  become  a  veteran  in 
open  battle,  when  he  entered  Florida  was  obliged,  to  a  certain  ex 
tent,  to  learn  an  entirely  new  course  of  tactics.  The  Indians  con 
cealed  themselves  within  dense  swamps,  where  it  was  impossible 
for  an  army  to  follow  them  ;  and  from  these  they  sallied  at  night, 
in  order  to  cut  up  small  parties,  and  devastate  the  country.  The 
extent  of  these  swamps  scattered  the  operations  over  so  large  a 
space,  that  it  was  impossible  for  an  army  to  defend  the  country 
with  any  degree  of  efficiency.  In  a  short  time  the  war  became  un 
popular  with  the  soldiers  themselves,  who  were  exposed  to  every 
26 


FLORIDA  WAR.  27 

danger,  without  the  power  of  properly  defending  themselves  ;  and 
the  command  of  the  army  in  Forida,  became  a  phrase,  whose  meaning 
was  a  concentration  of  difficulty  and  peril. 

In  this  war  few  officers  distinguished  themselves  more  than 
Colonel  Taylor.  He  was  continually  in  active  service,  and  won  for 
himself  the  esteem  of  both  officers  and  soldiers.  But  his  greatest 
achievement,  and  that  for  which  he  is  principally  remembered  in 
connection  with  Florida,  was  the  battle  of  Okee-Chobee. 

This  battle  was  fought  on  the  25th  of  December,  1837,  between 
the  Americans,  under  Colonel  Taylor,  and  the  Seminoles  and 
Mickasukies,  commanded  by  their  chiefs,  Alligator  and  Sam  Jones. 
The  United  States  army  had  now  been  in  the  Florida  service  for 
two  years,  and  the  colonel  commanded  the  first  brigade,  stationed 
at  Fort  Gardner,  south  of  the  Withlacoochee.  On  the  19th  of 
December  he  received  a  communication  from  Major-General  Jesup, 
informing  him  that  all  hopes  of  bringing  the  war  to  a  close  by  nego 
tiation  through  the  interference  or  mediation  of  the  Cherokee  dele 
gation,  were  at  an  end,  and  that  Sam  Jones,  with  the  Mickasukies, 
had  determined  to  "  fight  to  the  last."  It  also  directed  him  to  pro 
ceed  with  the  least  possible  delay,  against  any  portion  of  the  enemy 
he  might  hear  of,  and  to  destroy  or  capture  them. 

The  next  morning  after  receiving  this  communication,  the  colonel 
left  an  adequate  force  under  two  officers,  to  protect  the  depot,  and 
marched  with  the  remainder  of  his  command,  having  with  him  but 
twelve  days'  rations,  his  means  of  transportation  not  enabling  him 
to  carry  more.  His  force  was  composed  of  Captain  Morris's  com 
pany  of  the  fourth  artillery,  consisting  of  thirty-five  men ;  the  first 
infantry,  under  Colonel  Davenport,*  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
strong;  the  fourth  infantry,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Foster,  two 
hundred  and  seventy-four :  the  Missouri  volunteers,  one  hundred 
and  eighty ;  Morgan's  spies,  forty-seven ;  and  thirty  pioneers, 
thirteen  pontoniers,  and  seventy  Delaware  Indians  ;  making  in  all, 
exclusive  of  officers,  one  thousand  and  thirty-two  men.  The 
greater  part  of  the  Shawnees  had  been  detached,  and  the  remainder 
refused  to  accompany  him,  under  pretext  that  many  of  them  were 
sick,  and  the  rest  without  moccasins. 


28 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


HE  army  moved  down  the  west 
side  of  the  Kissiminee,  in  a  south 
ern  course,  towards  Lake  Istopoga. 
The  colonel  was  induced  to  take 
this  route  for  several  reasons.  He 
had  learned  that  a  portion  of  the 
enemy  were  in  that  direction,  and 
imagined  that  if  General  Jesup 
should  fall  in  with  the  Mickasukies 
and  drive  them  before  him,  they 
might  attempt  to  escape  by  crossing 
the  Kissimmee,from  the  east  to  the 
west  side  of  the  peninsula,  between 
Fort  Gardner  and  its  entrance  into 
Okee-Chobee,  in  which  case  he 
might  be  near  at  hand  to  intercept  them.  He  also  wished  to  overawe 
such  of  the  Indians  as  had  been  making  propositions  to  give  themselves 
up,  but  had  been  slow  to  fulfil  their  promise ;  to  erect  block-houses  and 
a  small  picket  work  on  the  Kissimmee,  forty  or  fifty  miles  below 
the  fort,  for  a  third  depot.  By  this  means  he  hoped  to  obtain  a 
knowledge  of  the  country,  as  he  had  no  guide  to  rely  on,  and  also 
to  open  a  communication  with  Colonel  Smith,  who  was  operating 
by  his  orders,  up  the  Caloosehatchee  or  Sanybel  river. 

In  the  evening  of  his  first  day's  march,  Colonel  Taylor  met  the 
Indian  Chief  Jumper,  with  his  family  and  a  part  of  his  band,  consist 
ing  of  fifteen  men,  some  of  them  with  families  and  a  few  negroes,  on 
his  way  to  deliver  himself  up  in  conformity  to  a  previous  arrange 
ment  with  the  Colonel.  The  whole  consisted  of  sixty  three  persons, 
and  were  conducted  by  Captain  Parks,  a  half  breed  at  the  head  of 
the  friendly  Indians,  both  Shawnees  and  Delawares.  The  army 
encamped  that  night  near  the  spot,  and  the  next  morning  having  sent 
on  Jumper  and  his  parly  to  Fort  Frazer,  the  Colonel  continued  his 
march,  at  the  same  time  sending  forward  three  Seminoles  to  gain 
intelligence  concerning  the  position  of  the  enemy.  About  noon  of 
the  same  day  he  sent  forward  one  battalion  of  Gentry's  regiment, 
under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Price,  who  was  ordered 
"  to  pick  up  any  stragglers  that  might  fall  in  his  way  ;  to  encamp  two 


FLORIDA  WAR.  29 

or  three  miles  in  advance  of  the  main  force ;  to  act  with  great  cir 
cumspection,  and  to  communicate  promptly  any  occurrence  of  im 
portance  that  might  take  place  in  his  vi  inity." 

About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  T  ylor  received  a  note  from 
Colonel  Price,  stating  that  the  three  Seminoles  sent  forward  in  the 
morning  had  returned ;  that  they  had  been  near  where  Alligator  had 
encamped,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  in  advance  of  his  present  position  ; 
that  Alligator  had  left  there  with  a  part  of  his  family  four  days 
before,  under  pretext  of  separating  his  friends  and  relatives  from  the 
Mickasukies,  preparatory  to  his  surrendering  with  them  ;  that  there 
were  several  families  remaining  at  the  camp  referred  to,  who  wished 
to  give  themselves  up,  and  would  remain  there  until  Colonel  Taylor 
took  possession  of  them,  but  who  were  in  great  danger  of  being 
carried  away  that  night  by  the  Mickasukies,  who  were  encamped  at 
no  great  distance  from  them. 

In  consequence  of  this  intelligence  Colonel  Taylor  put  himself  at 
the  head  of  his  mounted  men  a  little  after  midnight,  and  after  direct 
ing  Lieutenant  Colonel  Davenport  to  follow  him  early  in  the  morning, 
he  commenced  his  inarch,  joined  Price,  crossed  Istopoga  outlet,  and 
soon  after  daylight  took  position  at  the  encampment  referred  to,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  the  inmates,  amounting  in  all  to 
twenty-two  individuals,  had  not  been  disturbed.  One  of  their  num 
ber  informed  him  that  Alligato»  was  anxious  to  deliver  himself  up  ; 
and  this  individual,  who  was  an  old  man,  was  subsequently  employed 
on  a  mission  to  inform  the  chief,  that  if  sincere  in  his  professions  he 
should  have  a  conference  next  day  at  a  place  designated  on  the  Kis- 
simmee. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Colonel  Davenport  with  the  infantry,  Colonel 
Taylor  moved  on  to  the  place  of  meeting  with  Alligator,  near  which, 
cs  he  reached  it  late  in  the  evening,  he  encamped.  At  eleven  o'clock 
the  old  Indian  returned,  bringing  a  very  equivocal  message  from  Al 
ligator,  whom,  according  to  his  report,  he  met  accidentally.  He  also 
stated  that  the  Mickasukies  were  still  encamped  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  where  they  had  remained  for  some  days,  with  a  deter 
mination  to  fight  the  United  States  troops.  In  this  humor  the 
Colonel  determined  to  indulge  them  as  soon  as  possible.  Accord 
ingly,  the  nex*  morning  he  took  the  old  Indian  for  his  guide,  crossed 


30  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

the  Kissimmee,  and  reached  Alligator's  encampment,  which  was 
situated  on  the  edge  of  "Cabbage  Tree  Hammock,"  in  the  midst 
of  a  large  prairie.  From  the  appearance  of  this  and  other  encamp 
ments  in  the  vicinity,  together  with  the  many  evidences  of  slaugh 
tered  cattle,  it  was  evident  that  the  population  must  have  numbered 
several  hundreds. 

Before  Taylor  commenced  this  march  he  had  laid  out  a  small 
stockade  fort  for  the  protection  of  a  future  depot,  and  left  the  pio 
neers,  pontoniers,  eighty-five  sick  and  disabled  infantry,  and  a  portion 
of  the  friendly  Indians,  together  with  all  his  artillery  and  heavy  bag 
gage,  under  the  protection  of  Captain  Monroe.  This  enabled  him 
to  move  much  faster  than  if  encumbered  by  wounded  and  baggage, 
and  brought  him  nearly  on  a  level  with  his  wary  enemy. 

Soon  after  the  arrival,  the  spies  surprised  another  encampment 
situated  at  a  small  distance  from  the  first,  in  the  midst  of  a  swamp 
It  contained  a  small  party  of  young  men,  one  old  one,  and  som< 
women  and  children,  who  raised  a  white  flag  and  were  taken  pri 
soners.  They  were  Seminoles,  and  informed  Colonel  Taylor  tha 
the  Mickasukies,  headed  by  A-vi-a-ka  (Sam  Jones)  were  at  the  dis 
tance  of  about  twelve  miles,  securely  encamped  in  a  swamp,  and 
prepared  to  fight.  Upon  receiving  this  information  the  commander 
dismissed  the  old  man,  and  after  making  provision  for  those  who 
came  in,  moved  forward  under  guidance  of  the  Seminoles,  toward 
the  camp  of  the  Mickasukies. 

Between  the  hours  of  two  and  three  in  the  afternoon,  the  army 
reached  a  very  dense  cypress  swamp,  through  which  they  passed 
with  great  difficulty,  and  under  continual  apprehension  of  an  attack 
from  a  concealed  foe.  The  necessary  dispositions  for  battle  were 
arranged  at  the  same  time  ;  but  the  soldiers  crossed  without  gaining 
sight  of  the  enemy,  and  encamped  for  the  night  on  the  opposite  side. 
During  the  passage  of  the  rear,  Captain  Parks,  who  was  in  advance 
with  a  few  friendly  Indians,  encountered  two  of  the  enemy's  spies, 
and  succeeded  in  capturing  one  of  them  who  was  on  foot.  He  was 
a  young  warrior  of  great  activity,  armed  with  an  excellent  rifle,  fifty 
balls  in  his  pouch,  and  an  adequate  proportion  of  powder.  This 
Indian  confirmed  the  information  previously  received  from  other  pri 
soners,  and  in  addition,  stated  that  a  large  body  of  Scminolcs,  headed 


FLORIDA  WAR.  31 

by  John  Cohua,  Coacoochee,  Alligator,  and  other  chiefs,  was  en 
camped  five  or  six  miles  from  the  Americans,  near  the  iMickasukies, 
the  latter  being  separated  by  a  cypress  swamp  and  a  dense  ham 
mock. 

The  army  moved  forward  at  daylight  the  next  morning,  and  after 
marching  five  or  six  miles  reached  another  cypress  swamp,  on  the 
borders  of  which  was  a  deserted  camp  of  the  Seminoles.  It  had 
evidently  contained  several  hundred  persons,  and  exhibited  very  plain 
manifestations  of  having  been  abandoned  in  a  hurry,  as  several  fires 
were  still  burning,  and  quantities  of  beef  lying  on  the  ground  uncon- 
sumed. 

Upon  reaching  this  encampment  the  troops  were  again  arranged 
in  order  of  battle,  and  again  disappointed  in  their  expectation  of  see 
ing  an  enemy.  After  remaining  for  some  time,  they  crossed  the 
swamp  and  entered  a  large  prairie  in  their  front,  on  which  two  or 
three  hundred  cattle,  and  a  number  of  Indian  ponies  were  grazing. 
Here  was  captured  another  young  warrior,  armed  and  equipped  like 
the  former.  He  pointed  to  a  dense  hammock  on  the  right,  about  a 
mile  distant,  in  which  he  said  the  Indians  were  situated,  and  waiting 
to  give  battle. 

In  this  place  the  final  disposition  was  made  for  an  attack.  The 
army  was  drawn  up  in  two  lines  ;  Morgan's  spies  and  the  volunteers 
under  Gentry,  in  extended  order,  formed  the  first  line,  with  instruc 
tions  to  enter  the  hammock,  and  if  attacked  and  hard  pressed,  to  fall 
back  in  the  rear  of  the  regular  troops,  out  of  reach  of  the  enemy's 
fire ;  the  second  line  was  composed  of  the  fourth  and  sixth  infantry, 
who  were  instructed  to  sustain  the  volunteers.  The  first  infantry 
was  held  in  reserve. 

These  arrangements  being  completed,  the  whole  force  moved  on 
in  the  direction  of  the  hammock,  and  after  proceeding  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  reached  the  swamp,  on  the  opposite  side  of  which  the 
enemy  were  stationed.  This  was  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  ex 
tending  on  the  left  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  on  the  right  to 
a  part  of  the  swamp  and  hammock  they  had  just  crossed,  through 
which  ran  a  deep  creek.  It  consisted  of  an  oozy  mass  of  mud  and 
water  nearly  two  feet  deep,  over  which  waved  a  thick  growth  of 
coarse  "  saw-grass,"  as  tall  as  a  man,  and  was  utterly  impassable  to 


32  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

cavalry,  and  nearly  so  to  foot.  In  consequence  of  this,  all  the  men 
were  dismounted  at  the  edge  of  the  swamp,  and  the  horses  and  bag 
gage  left  under  a  suitable  guard.  At  the  same  time  Captain  Allen 
was  detached  with  the  two  companies  of  mounted  infantry  to  examine 
the  swamp  and  hammock  to  the  right ;  and  in  case  of  not  finding  the 
enemy  in  that  direction,  to  return  to  the  baggage ;  but  in  either  case 
if  he  heard  a  heavy  firing,  immediately  to  join  Colonel  Taylor. 

These  arrangements  being  satisfactorily  completed,  the  army 
crossed  the  swamp  in  order  of  battle.  The  volunteers  and  spies 
had  scarcely  reached  the  borders  of  the  swamp,  when  a  heavy  fire 
was  opened  upon  them  by  a  large  body  of  Indians.  This  was 
returned  for  a  short  time  with  considerable  spirit,  but  they  soon  lost 
their  gallant  commander,  Colonel  Gentry,  who  fell  mortally  wounded. 
After  this  misfortune  they  fled  in  disorder,  and  instead  of  forming  in 
the  rear  of  the  regulars,  as  had  been  directed,  they  retired  across 
the  swamp,  to  their  baggage  and  horses  ;  nor  would  they  again 
enter  into  action  as  a  body,  although  efforts  were  made  by  Colonel 
Taylor's  staff  to  induce  them  to  do  so.  At  this  success,  the  In 
dians  rushed  forward  upon  the  second  line,  at  the  same  time  dis 
charging  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry.  They  were,  however,  coolly 
met  and  driven  back  by  the  fourth  and  sixth  infantry.  The  heat 
of  battle  was  principally  borne  by  five  companies  of  the  latter ; 
yet  they  not  only  sustained  it  firmly,  but  continued  to  advance 
until  their  commander,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Thompson  and  his  adju 
tant,  Lieutenant  Carter,  were  killed  ;  they  were  then  obliged  to  retire 
for  a  short  distance,  and  reform.  So  great  had  been  the  loss  of 
these  companies,  that  every  officer,  with  a  single  exception,  together 
with  most  of  the  non-commissioned,  including  the  sergeant-major 
and  four  of  the  orderly  sergeants,  was  killed  or  wounded ;  and  one 
of  them  had  but  four  members  uninjured. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Foster,  with  six  companies,  amounting  in  all 
to  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  gained  the  hammock  in  good  order, 
where  he  was  joined  by  Captain  Noel,  with  the  two  remaining 
companies  of  the  sixth  infantry,  and  Captain  Gillam,  of  Gentry's 
volunteers,  with  a  few  additional  men.  These,  by  a  change  of 
front,  succeeded  in  separating  the  enemy's  line,  and  continued  to 
drive  them  until  they  reached  the  Lake  Okee-Chobee,  which  was 


FLORIDA  WAR.  33 

in  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  position,  and  bordered  their  encamp 
ment  for  nearly  a  mile.  As  soon  as  Colonel  Taylor  was  informed 
that  Captain  Allen  was  advancing,  lie  ordered  the  first  infantry  to 
move  to  the  left,  gain  the  enemy's  right  flank  and  turn  it.  This 
order  was  executed  with  promptness  and  eflect ;  as  soon  as  the 
regiment  got  into  position  the  Indians  gave  one  fire  and  retreated, 
being  pursued  by  the  first,  fourth,  and  sixth,  and  some  few  volun 
teers,  until  near  night.  This  chase  was  a  most  fatiguing  one,  as 
the  enemy  scattered  in  all  directions,  and  the  troops  were  obliged 
to  follow  over  a  swampy  and  rugged  surface. 

This  action  was  long  and  severe,  continuing  from  half  past  twelve 
until  about  three,  p.  M.  The  Indians  had  selected  the  strongest 
position  of  the  swamp,  and  were  covered  in  front  by  a  small  stream, 
whose  quicksands  rendered  it  almost  impassable.  In  addition  to 
this,  their  front  was  concealed  and  partly  protected  by  a  growth 
of  thickly  interwoven  hammock,  and  their  flanks  were  secured  by 
impassable  swamps.  They  numbered  about  seven  hundred  war 
riors,  and  were  led  by  Alligator,  Coacoochee,  and  Sam  Jones. 

Colonel  Taylor's  force  amounted  to  about  five  hundred  men, 
only  part  of  whom  were  regulars.  In  passing  the  stream  they 
sunk  to  the  middle  in  mire,  arid  were  continually  exposed  to  the 
fire  of  the  enemy ;  and  for  a  while  during  the  battle,  both  parties 
fought  hand  to  hand.  The  Americans  lost  twenty-six  killed,  and 
one  hundred  and  twelve  wounded.  Among  the  slain  were  Colonels 
Gentry  and  Thompson,  Captain  Van  Swearingen,  and  Lieutenants 
Carter  and  Brook,  all  of  whom  fell  at  the  head  of  their  respective 
commands.  The  loss  of  the  Indians  was  never  ascertained  ;  they 
left  ten  bodies  on  the  field,  and  doubtless  carried  away  a  large  num 
ber,  according  to  their  invariable  practice.  During  the  whole  en 
gagement  the  Colonel  was  on  horseback,  passing  from  point  to  point, 
and  cheering  his  men,  though  he  himself  was  exposed  to  the  com 
plete  range  of  the  Indian  rifles. 

As  soon  as  the  enemy  were  thoroughly  broken,  Colonel  Taylor 
turned  his  attention  to  the  wounded.  He  had  previously  ordered 
an  encampment  to  be  formed  near  his  baggage  ;  and  to  facilitate  his 
operations,  he  directed  Captain  Taylor  to  cross  to  that  spot  and 
employ  every  individual  whom  he  might  find  there,  in  constructing 


34         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

a  small  footway  across  the  swamp.  By  great  exertions  this  was 
completed  a  short  time  after  dark,  when  all  the  dead  and  wounded, 
with  the  exception  of  the  body  of  a  private,  which  could  not  be 
found,  were  carried  across  in  litters. 

In  speaking  of  this  disastrous  though  successful  action,  Colonel 
Taylor,  in  his  official  communication  to  the  department,  says : — 
"  I  trust  that  I  may  be  permitted  to  say,  that  I  experienced  one  of 
the  most  trying  scenes  of  my  life,  and  he  who  could  have  looked  on  it 
with  indifference,  his  nerves  must  have  been  very  differently  organ 
ized  from  my  own.  Besides  the  killed  there  lay  one  hundred  and 
twelve  wounded,  officers  and  soldiers,  who  had  accompanied  me  one 
hundred  and  forty-five  miles,  most  of  the  way  through  an  unex 
plored  wilderness,  without  guides,  who  had  so  gallantly  beat  the 
enemy,  under  my  orders,  in  his  strongest  position,  and  who  had  to 
be  conveyed  back  through  swamps  and  hammocks,  from  whence 
we  set  out,  without  any  apparent  means  of  doing  it.  This  service, 
however,  was  encountered  and  overcome,  and  they  have  been  con 
veyed  thus  far,  and  proceeded  on  to  Tampa  Bay,  on  rude  litters, 
constructed  with  the  axe  and  knife  alone,  with  poles  and  dry  hides ; 
the  latter  being  found  in  great  abundance  at  the  encampment  of  the 
hostiles.  The  litters  were  conveyed  on  the  backs  of  our  weak  and 
tottering  horses,  aided  by  the  residue  of  the  command,  with  more  ease 
and  comfort  to  the  sufferers  than  I  could  have  supposed  ;  and  with 
as  much  as  they  could  have  been  in  ambulances  of  the  most  im 
proved  and  modem  construction." 

The  day  after  the  battle  Colonel  Taylor  and  his  command  re 
mained  at  their  encampment,  occupied  in  taking  care  of  the  wounded, 
and  in  the  sad  office  of  interring  the  dead.  They  also  prepared 
litters  for  the  removal  of  the  wounded,  and  detached  a  portion  of  the 
mounted  men  to  collect  the  horses  and  cattle  which  had  been  left  by 
the  enemy.  Of  the  former  they  found  about  a  hundred,  many  of 
which  were  saddled,  and  three  hundred  oxen. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th,  Colonel  Taylor  left  the  encampment, 
and  at  about  noon  next  day  reached  the  post  on  the  Kissimmee, 
where  he  had  left  his  heavy  baggage.  Finding  the  stockade  which 
he  had  ordered  Captain  Monroe  to  construct,  nearly  in  a  state  of 
completion,  he  left  two  companies  and  a  few  Indians  to  garrison  it, 


FLORIDA  WAR.  35 

and  proceeded  towards  Fort  Gardner.  Arriving  here  he  sent  on  the 
wounded  to  Tampa  Bay,  with  the  fourth  and  sixth  infantry;  the 
former  to  halt  at  Fort  Frazer.  He  himself  remained  at  Fort  Gardner 
with  the  first,  in  order  to  make  preparations  to  retake  the  field,  de 
signing  to  do  so  as  soon  as  his  horses  could  be  recruited,  and  his 
supplies  in  a  sufficient  state  of  forwardness  to  justify  that  measure. 

In  his  despatch,  the  Colonel  speaks  in  high  terms  of  the  behavior 
of  the  regulars,  especially  of  the  sixth  infantry,  and  designates  par 
ticular  actions  of  the  following  officers,  most  of  whom  had  been 
engaged  with  him  in  the  campaigns  of  Florida,  and  some  have  since 
been  known  in  a  more  conspicuous  theatre  of  action — Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Davenport,  Colonel  Foster,  Major  Graham,  Captain  Allen, 
Lieutenant  Hooper,  Captain  Noel,  Lieutenant  Wood,  Captain  An 
drews,  Lieutenant  Walker,  Colonel  Gentry,  Captain  Gillam,  Lieu 
tenant  Blakely,  Captain-  Childs,  Lieutenants  Rogers,  Flanagan, 
Hase,  Gorden,  Hill,  Griffin,  Harrison,  McClure,  Major  Sconce, 
Captain  Taylor,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Thompson,  Captain  Swearingen, 
Adjutant  Carter,  Lieutenant  Brook,  Major  Brant,  and  Lieutenant 
Babbitt.  His  remarks  upon  Lieutenant-Colonel  Thompson  deserve 
remembrance,  as  displaying  a  tenderness  of  heart  and  warmth  of 
friendship,  which  enhances  the  merit  of  all  his  military  perform 
ances  : — 

"  It  is  due  to  his  rank  and  talents,  as  well  as  to  his  long  and  im 
portant  services,  that  I  particularly  mention  Lieutenant-Colonel  A.  R. 
Thompson,  of  the  sixth  infantry,  who  fell  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duty  at  the  head  of  his  regiment.  He  was  in  feeble  health,  brought 
on  by  exposure  to  this  climate  during  the  past  summer,  refusing  to 
leave  the  country  while  his  regiment  continued  in  it.  Although  he 
received  two  balls  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy  early  in  the  action, 
which  wounded  him  severely,  yet  he  appeared  to  disregard  them, 
and  continued  to  give  his  orders  with  the  same  coolness  that  he 
would  have  done  had  his  regiment  been  under  review,  or  on  any 
parade  duty.  Advancing  he  received  a  third  ball,  which  at  once 
deprived  him  of  life ;  his  last  words  were — *  Keep  steady  men, 
charge  the  hammock — remember  the  regiment  to  which  you  belong.' 
I  had  known  Colonel  Thompson  personally  only  for  a  short  time, 
and  the  more  I  knew  of  him,  the  more  I  wished  to  know ;  and  had 


36  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

his  life  been  spared,  our  acquaintance,  no  doubt,  would  have  ripened 
into  the  closest  friendship.  Under  such  circumstances,  there  are 
few,  if  any  other  than  his  bereaved  wife,  mother  and  sisters,  who 
more  deeply  and  sincerely  lament  his  loss,  or  who  will  longer 
cherish  his  memory,  than  myself." 

The  battle  of  Okee-Chobee  had  a  very  beneficial  influence  upon 
the  efforts  to  subdue  the  Indians  of  Florida.  An  officer  writing 
from  Fort  Bassinger  subsequent  to  it,  says  :  "  The  Indian  prisoners 
now  admit  that  they  lost  twenty  killed  on  the  ground,  and  a  great 
many  wounded,  in  the  fight  with  Colonel  Taylor.  They  had  a 
strong  position  and  fought  well,  but  were  terribly  whipped,  and  have 
never  returned  near  the  ground  since.  Jumper,  Alligator,  and  other 
warriors  afterwards  came  in,  and  were  subsequently  employed  by 
the  Colonel  in  inducing  their  hostile  companions  to  surrender  them 
selves  ;  by  this  means  large  numbers  delivered  themselves  to  the 
Americans.  Indeed  the  general  policy  pursued  by  Colonel  Taylor 
while  in  Florida,  together  with  his  industry  and  perseverance,  and 
the  hardy  constitution  he  possessed,  rendered  his  services  immensely 
valuable  to  the  government  in  subduing  the  savages  and  giving  peace 
and  safety  to  the  southern  frontier.  The  country  was  not  insensible 
of  his  value,  and  the  department  at  Washington  conferred  on  him  the 
rank  of  Brigadier-General  by  brevet,  to  take  date  from  the  battle  of 
Okee-Chobee. 

Taylor  now  established  himself  at  Fort  Bassinger,  on  the  Kis- 
simmee,  about  twenty  miles  west  of  Fort  Lloyd.  On  the  first  of 
March  following,  Mr.  Poinsett,  Secretary  of  War,  wrote  to  Major- 
General  Jesup  a  letter,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

"  The  department  indulge  the  hope,  that  with  the  extensive  means 
placed  at  your  disposal,  the  war  by  a  vigorous  effort  might  be 
brought  to  a  close  this  campaign.  If,  however,  you  are  of  opinion 
that  from  the  nature  of  the  country,  and  the  character  of  the  enemy, 
such  a  result  is  impracticable,  and  that  it  is  advisable  to  make  a 
temporary  arrangement  with  the  Seminoles,  by  which  the  safety  of 
the  settlements  and  the  posts  will  be  secured  throughout  the  summer, 
you  are  at  liberty  to  do  so.  In  that  event  you  will  establish  posts 
at  Tampa,  and  on  the  eastern  shore,  and  wherever  else  they  are,  in 
your  opinion,  necessary  to  preserve  the  peace  of  the  country ;  and 


FLORIDA  WAR.  37 

I  would  suggest  the  propriety  of  leaving  Colonel  Zachary  Taylor  of 
the  first  infantry  in  command  of  them." 

Accordingly  Colonel  Taylor  received  the  command  of  the  posts 
along  the  frontier. 

General  Jesup  having  repotted  that  the  operations  in  Florida 
would  probably  terminate  on  the  first  of  May,  the  Adjutant  General 
issued  a  "general  order"  on  the  tenth  of  April,  1838,  making  such 
a  disposition  of  the  forces  as  seemed  necessary.  The  fifth  article 
of  this  paper  reads  as  follows  : 

"  Major  General  Jesup  will  take  ah1  the  necessary  orders  for  the 
prompt  execution  of  this  order,  and  will  then  turn  over  the  command 
of  the  troops  in  Florida  to  brevet  Brigadier-General  Z.  Taylor, 
Colonel  of  the  first  infantry  and resume  the  dudes  of  Quarter 
master  General." 

Agreeably  to  this  order,  General  Taylor  assumed  the  command 
of  the  Florida  army  in  the  following  May.  Here  he  remained  until 
1840,  when,  upon  requesting  leave  to  retire,  he  was  relieved  by 
Brigadier-General  Armistead,  and  with  his  family  arrived  in  New 
Orleans  on  the  21st  of  June. 


) 


CHAPTER  III. 


of 


ITHERTO  we  have  viewed  Gene 
ral  Taylor  as  the  commander  of  but 
small  forces,  and  acting  under  cir 
cumstances  not  very  favorable  to  the 
jff  acquisition  of  a  general  or  lasting  po 
pularity.  The  mass  of  a  community 
reward  an  achievement  according  to 
the  splendor  of  its  outward  bril 
liancy,  forgetting  that  the  events 
which  they  designate  as  small,  may 
have  required  for  their  successful  performance  the  highest  degree  of 
labor  and  talent.  Accordingly,  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  18  1  2,  many 
brave  men,  who  had  done  valuable  service  to  their  country  in  an 
unostentatious  manner,  were  allowed  to  sink  into  comparative  obli 
vion.  Such  was  the  fate  of  the  defender  of  Fort  Harrison  ;  though 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        39 

that  event  was  brilliant  in  itself,  the  first  burst  of  enthusiasm  which 
attended  its  performance  soon  passed  away,  and  from  that  time  to 
the  end  of  the  war  we  are  not  able  to  trace  the  history  of  its  princi 
pal  actor.  From  this  obscurity  he  was  called  to  the  command  in 
Florida,  where  he  won  for  himself  fresh  approbation,  and  during  a 
short  time  enjoyed  a  considerable  share  of  the  reputation  which  his 
merits  deserve.  Yet  the  hero  of  Okee-Chobee  was  also  forgotten, 
and  when  subsequently  called  to  a  wide  and  trying  theatre  of  action, 
the  nation  stared  upon  him  as  upon  a  stranger,  and  half  contemptu 
ously  inquired  "  Who  is  General  Taylor?" 

Upon  the  close  of  the  Seminole  war  it  seems  to  have  been  the 
intention  of  the  General  to  retire  from  military  life ;  in  this,  how 
ever,  he  was  not  indulged  by  government.  In  1841,  not  long  after 
his  arrival  at  New  Orleans,  he  was  orde  'Ovl  to  relieve  General  Ar- 
buckle  in  the  command  of  the  second  department  on  the  Arkansas 
river.  While  at  Little  Rock,  on  his  way  to  Fort  Gibson,  he  was 
tendered  a  public  dinner  by  the  citizens  of  that  town,  as  an  expres 
sion  of  esteem  for  his  "personal  worth  and  meritorious  public 
services."  In  a  brief  note  the  General  declined  this  invitation,  on 
account  of  the  journey  being  already  protracted  an  unusual  length  of 
time,  and  of  his  being  anxious  to  proceed  on  as  rapidly  as  possible 
to  his  destined  post.  Soon  after  he  changed  his  head-quarters  to 
Fort  Smith,  and  subsequently  was  transferred  to  Fort  Jesup, 
Louisiana. 

Meanwhile  difficulties  had  arisen  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico,  which  threatened  to  result  in  an  appeal  to  arms.  The  prin 
cipal  cause  of  these  disturbances,  was  the  course  pursued  by  the 
former  government  with  regard  to  the  admission  of  Texas  into  her 
confederation. 

Prior  to  the  year  1834,  this  country  formed  a  state  of  Mexico, 
under  the  title  of  the  Department  of  Tamaulipas.  It  had,  however, 
been  settled  almost  entirely  by  emigrants  from  the  United  States, 
many  arriving  there  as  early  as  1820.  Upon  the  adoption  of  a  new 
constitution  by  Mexico,  in  1834,  Texas  refused  to  accede  to  it,  and 
a  war  with  the  mother  country  was  the  consequence.  This  was 
carried  on  with  various  success,  until  the  early  part  of  1836,  when 
General  Santa  Anna,  President  of  Mexico,  was  defeated  and  cap- 


40  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

tured  in  a  battle  at  St.  Jacinto,  by  the  Texan  and  American  forces 
under  General  Houston.  This  delivered  Texas  from  invasion,  and 
a  convention  of  delegates  soon  afterwards  declared  the  country  a  free 
and  sovereign  republic,  and  elected  Houston  as  their  President. 

Mexico,  however,  would  not  recognize  the  independence  of 
Texas,  but  was  hindered  by  the  distracted  state  of  her  government 
from  prosecuting  a  plan  of  subjugation. 

While  matters  were  in  this  condition,  the  peculiar  amity  existing 
between  Texas  and  the  United  States,  led  the  government  of  the 
latter  power  to  digest  a  plan  for  the  union  of  the  two  countries  under 
a  common  flag.  This  scheme  was  called  the  project  for  the  "  An 
nexation  of  Texas,"  and  was  first  broached  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler. 

Of  course  a  measure  involving  so  many  important  interests  to  both 
countries,  would  be  viewed  differently  by  different  minds.  Accord 
ingly,  its  propriety  and  even  constitutionality,  were  ably  and 
thoroughly  discussed  by  all  the  leading  journals  of  the  day,  and  nu 
merous  petitions  were  presented  to  Congress,  both  for  and  against 
the  annexation.  After  much  delay,  however,  the  resolution  passed 
both  branches  of  that  body  in  March  1845,  and  the  act  was  subse 
quently  ratified  by  the  Texan  Congress.  Upon  this  accession  of  terri 
tory  President  Polk,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Tyler,  congratulated  Con 
gress  in  his  first  annual  message  of  December  2d. 

Meanwhile  Mexico  was  not  idle.  Though  torn  by  civil  dissensions 
she  had  ever  indulged  a  hope  of  the  redemption  of  Tamaulipas,  and 
the  fear  that  it  was  soon  to  be  irrecoverably  lost,  roused  her  at  once 
to  activity.  As  soon  as  the  rumor  reached  her  of  the  designs  of  the 
United  States  government,  she  instructed  her  minister  to  enter  a 
solemn  national  protest  against  the  annexation ;  the  American  minister 
was  also  refused  a  hearing,  and  every  preparation  made  to  raise  forces 
to  cope  with  her  neighbor. 

Under  these  circumstances  it  was  thought  advisable  to  station  a 
military  force  in  Texas,  to  repel  any  sudden  invasion  which  might 
be  made  by  the  Mexicans.  Accordingly,  some  months  before  the 
annexation,  the  following  order  was  directed  to  General  Taylor : 

"  September  nth,  1844. 

"  SIR — The  General-in-Chief  has  received  instructions,  through 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         41 

the  Department  of  State  from  the  Executive,  to  hold  the  troops  be 
tween  the  Red  and  Sabine  rivers  ready  to  march  in  case  of  a 
requisition  being  made  by  the  Charge  d'Afiaires  residing  near  the 
government  of  Texas,  as  the  said  Charge*  may  designate,  in  order  to 
restrain  any  hostile  incursion  on  the  part  of  the  border  Indians,  as 
required  by  the  provisions  of  existing  treaties. 

"  You  will  please  to  take  such  preliminary  measures  as  may  be 
deemed  necessary  to  put  the  great  part  of  the  forces  under  your 
command  designated  above,  in  march  for  the  above  purpose  at  short 
notice. 

"  Should  the  apprehended  hostilities  with  the  Indians  alluded  to, 
break  out,  an  officer  of  rank,  probably  yourself,  will  be  sent  to 
command  the  United  States  forces  placed  in  the  field,  and  who  will 
receive  hereafter  further  instructions  from  his  government. 

"L.  THOMAS, 

"  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 
"  BRIGADIER-GENERAL  Z.  TAYLOR, 

"  Com.  1st  Department,  Fort  Jesup,  La." 

This  preparatory  step  with  regard  to  the  Indians,  seems  to  have 
been  but  a  kind  of  introduction  to  more  important  operations.  The 
southern  department  included  the  states  of  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Alabama  and  Georgia,  and  on  the  twenty-first  of  March  further 
orders  were  issued  to  the  General,  to  prepare  the  troops  from  these 
states,  and  hold  them  in  readiness  to  be  moved  into  Texas  as  soon 
as  ordered.  On  the  28th  of  May  following,  the  Secretary  of 
War,  Mr.  Marcy,  addressed  a  confidential  letter  to  him,  directing 
him  "  by  order  of  the  President,  to  cause  the  forces  now  under  your 
command,  and  those  which  may  be  assigned  to  it,  to  be  put  into  a 
position  where  they  may  most  promptly  and  efficiently  act  in  the 
defence  of  Texas,  in  the  event  it  should  become  necessary,  or  proper 
to  employ  them  for  that  purpose." 

Further  orders  were  soon  after  issued  by  Mr.  Bancroft,  acting 
secretary  in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Marcy ;  we  extract  the  following 
from  his  letter : 

[_"  CONFIDENTIAL.] 

"  War  Department,  June  15M,  1845. 

"  SIR — On  the  fourth  of  July,  or  very  soon  thereafter,  the  con- 

6 


42  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

vention  of  the  people  of  Texas  will  probably  accept  the  proposition 
of  annexation  under  the  joint  resolution  of  the  late  Congress  of  the 
United  States.  That  acceptance  will  constitute  Texas  an  integral 
portion  of  our  country. 

"  In  anticipation  of  that  event,  you  will  forthwith  make  a  forward 
movement,  with  the  troops  under  your  command,  and  advance  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Sabine,  or  such  other  point  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
or  its  navigable  rivers,  as  in  your  judgment  may  be  most  convenient 
for  an  embarkation  at  the  proper  time  for  the  western  frontier  of 
Texas. ******#*The  point  of  your  ultimate  destination  is  the  western 
frontier  of  Texas,  where  you  will  select  and  occupy  in  or  near  the 
Rio  Grande  del  Norte,  such  a  site  as  will  consist  with  the  health  of 
your  troops,  and  will  be  best  adapted  to  repel  invasion,  and  to  pro 
tect  what,  in  the  event  of  annexation,  will  be  our  western  border. 
You  will  limit  yourself  to  the  defence  of  the  territory  of  Texas,  un 
less  Mexico  should  declare  war  against  the  United  States. 

"  Your  movement  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  your  preparations  to 
embark  for  the  western  frontier  of  Texas,  are  to  be  made  without 
delay ;  but  you  will  not  effect  a  landing  on  that  frontier  until  you 
have  yourself  ascertained  the  due  acceptance,  by  Texas,  of  the  prof 
fered  terms  of  annexation." 

The  duties  of  the  General  were  still  further  defined  in  a  commu 
nication  from  Mr.  Marcy,  from  which  the  following  is  extracted : — 
"  This  Department  is  informed  that  Mexico  has  some  military 
establishments  on  the  east  side  of  the  Rio  Grande,  which  are,  and  for 
some  time  have  been,  in  the  actual  occupancy  of  her  troops.  In 
carrying  out  the  instructions  heretofore  received,  you  will  be  careful 
to  avoid  any  acts  of  aggression  unless  an  actual  war  shall  exist.  The 
Mexican  forces  at  the  posts  in  their  possession,  and  which  have  been 
so,  will  not  be  disturbed  as  long  as  the  relations  of  peace  between 
the  United  States  and  Mexico  continue." 

From  New  Orleans,  on  the  20th  of  July,  General  Taylor  ac 
knowledges  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  and  expresses  his  gratification 
at  receiving  such  instructions,  "  as  they  confirm  my  views  previously 
communicated  in  regard  to  the  proper  line  to  be  occupied  at  present 
by  our  troops,  those  instructions  will  be  closely  followed,  and  the 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         43 

Department  may  rest  assured  that  I  will  take  no  step  to  interrupt  the 
friendly  relations  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico." 

Upon  the  reception  of  this  letter,  the  Secretary  addressed  him 
another,  of  which  we  give  the  portion  immediately  relative  to  our 
subject.  It  is  dated  on  the  30th  of  July  : 

"  While  avoiding,  as  you  have  been  instructed  to  do,  all  aggressive 
measures  towards  Mexico,  as  long  as  the  relations  of  peace  exist 
between  that  country  and  the  United  States,  you  are  expected  to 
occupy,  protect,  and  defend  the  territory  of  Texas,  to  the  extent  that 
it  has  been  occupied  by  the  people  of  Texas.  The  Rio  Grande  is 
claimed  to  be  the  boundary  between  the  two  countries,  and  up  to 
this  boundary  you  are  to  extend  your  protection,  only  excepting  any 
posts  on  the  eastern  side  thereof,  which  are  in  the  actual  occupancy 
of  Mexican  forces  or  Mexican  settlements  over  which  the  republic 
of  Texas  did  not  exercise  jurisdiction  at  the  time  of  annexation,  or 
shortly  before  that  event.  It  is  expected  that  in  selecting  the  estab 
lishment  for  your  troops,  you  will  approach  as  near  the  boundary 
line,  the  Rio  Grande,  as  prudence  will  dictate.  With  this  view  the 
President  desires  that  your  position,  for  part  of  your  forces  at  least, 
should  be  west  of  the  Neuces." 

In  consequence  of  these  directions,  General  Taylor  crossed  the 
Neuces,  and  in  August  concentrated  his  forces  at  Corpus  Christi. 

In  the  latter  part  of  that  month  the  General  received  further  in 
structions  as  follows : — 

"  An  order  has  been  this  day  issued  for  sending  one  thousand 
more  men  into  Texas,  to  join  those  under  your  command.  When 
the  existing  orders  are  carried  into  effect,  you  will  have  with  you  a 
force  of  four  thousand  men  of  the  regular  army.  We  are  not  enabled 
to  judge  what  auxiliary  force  can,  upon  an  emergency,  be  brought 
together  from  Texas,  and,  as  a  precautionary  measure,  you  are  au 
thorized  to  accept  volunteers  from  the  States  of  Louisiana  and  Ala 
bama,  and  even  from  Mississippi,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  Should 
Mexico  declare  war,  or  commence  hostilities  by  crossing  the  Rio 
Grande  with  a  considerable  force,  you  are  instructed  to  lose  no  time 
of  giving  information  to  the  authorities  of  each  or  any  of  the  above 
mentioned  States,  as  to  the  number  of  volunteers  you  may  want  from 
them  respectively.  Should  you  require  troops  from  any  of  these 


44 


LIFE  OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


Corpus  Christ!  and  the  American  Camp. 

States,  it  would  be  important  to  have  them  with  the  least  possible 
delay.  It  is  not  doubted  that  at  least  two  regiments  from  New  Or 
leans,  and  one  from  Mobile  could  be  obtained,  and  expeditiously 
brought  into  the  field.  You  will  cause  it  to  be  known  at  these 
places  what  number  and  description  of  troops  you  desire  to  receive 
from  them  in  the  contemplated  emergency.  The  authorities  of  these 
States  will  be  apprised  that  you  are  authorized  to  receive  volunteers 
from  them,  and  you  may  calculate  that  they  will  promptly  join  you 
when  it  is  made  known  that  their  services  are  required.  Arms,  am 
munition,  and  camp  equipage  for  the  auxiliary  troops  that  you  may 
require,  will  be  sent  forward  subject  to  your  orders.  Orders  have 
been  issued  to  the  naval  force  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  co-operate 
with  you.  You  will  as  far  as  practicable  hold  communication  with 
the  commanders  of  our  national  vessels  in  your  vicinity,  and  avail 
yourself  of  any  assistance  that  can  be  derived  from  their  co-opera 
tion You  will  avail  yourself  of  these  vessels,  and  all 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        45 

other  proper  means  to  keep  the  government  here  advised  of  your 
operations,  and  of  the  state  of  tilings  in  Texas  and  Mexico." 

In  consequence  of  these  orders  the  army  left  Corpus  Christi  on 
the  llth  of  March,  1846,  and  marched  westward.  On  the  20th  of 
the  same  month  they  reached  the  Colorado,  having  encountered  on 
their  journey  the  most  appalling  hardships,  both  from  the  heat  of  the 
sandy  deserts  over  which  they  passed,  and  the  want  of  food  and 
water.  The  discipline  acquired  in  camp,  where  large  portions  of 
the  troops  had  for  the  first  time  an  opportnnity  of  seeing  and  learn 
ing  the  evolutions  of  the  line,  was  here  amply  tested ;  and  it  should 
be  recorded  to  the  honor  of  the  soldiers,  that  throughout  their  whole 
inarch  they  bore  their  hardships  with  patience  and  cheerfulness. 

At  the  Colorado  the  army  were  to  obtain  the  first  sight  of  the 
enemy  over  whom  they  were  soon  so  signally  to  triumph.  A  party 
of  Mexicans  were  stationed  on  the  west  bank,  and  threatened  to  fire 
upon  any  one  who  should  attempt  to  cross.  The  General  immedi 
ately  arranged  his  army  in  order  of  battle,  and  despatched  a  party  to 
open  a  road  for  his  troops  along  the  beach  of  the  river.  At  the  same 
time  the  Mexicans  were  themselves  notified,  that  should  they  oppose 
the  intended  passage  a  battle  would  be  the  consequence.  While  the 
army  were  taking  the  necessary  defensive  measures,  General  Mejia, 
aid-de-camp  to  the  Mexican  commander  of  Matamoras,  brought  a 
despatch  from  his  superior,  stating  that  the  passage  of  the  Colorado 
hy  the  United  States  army,  would  be  regarded  as  a  declaration  of 
war,  and  the  signal  for  the  commencement  of  hostilities. 

Notwithstanding  this  belligerent  aspect  of  the  Mexicans  they  made 
no  actual  effort  to  resist  the  crossing,  which  was  conducted  by 
General  Worth,  assisted  by  Captain  C.  F.  Smith,  the  field  pieces 
being  placed  in  battery  on  the  bank  so  as  to  cover  the  whole.  It 
were  difficult  to  point  out  in  all  the  annals  of  warfare,  a  more  culpa 
ble  piece  of  negligence  than  the  non-resistance  of  the  Mexicans  on 
this  occasion  ;  for  by  a  resolute  opposition,  they  might  have  seriously 
retarded  if  not  altogether  prevented  the  passage.  But  they  chose 
to  retreat. 

Being  thus  unexpectedly  delivered  from  immediate  battle  by  the 
flight  of  the  enemy,  the  army  on  the  22d  recommenced  their  march 
for  Matamoras.  This  city  is  situated  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  having 


46 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  on  the  east.  The  country  between  it 
and  the  Colorado  is  a  flat  open  plain,  covered  with  rank  weeds  and 
grass.  At  a  distance  by  land  of  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Matamoras, 
on  an  arm  of  the  Gulf  called  Brazos  Santiago,  is  Point  Isabel,  General 


Point   Isabel. 

Taylor's  intended  military  depot.  On  arriving  at  the  road  which 
runs  between  the  two  places,  the  General  learned  that  the  Mexicans 
were  already  at  the  Point.  In  consequence  of  this  information  he 
changed  his  original  route,  and  leaving  the  main  body  of  the  army 
with  General  Worth,  pushed  forward  with  his  dragoons  and  artillery 
for  that  place.  When  near  this  destination  he  was  met  by  a  civic 
delegation,  at  the  head  of  which  was  the  Prefect  of  Tamaulipas,  who 
protested  in  the  name  of  their  country  against  the  occupation  of 
Texas.  While  the  conference  was  going  on,  the  General  observed 
several  volumes  of  smoke  arise  from  the  houses  at  the  Point,  and 
immediately  concluded  that  it  had  been  fired  by  the  Mexicans.  The 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        47 

safety  of  this  station  was  a  matter  of  great  importance,  and  accord 
ingly,  in  order  to  lose  no  time,  the  delegation  was  immediately 
dismissed,  with  the  assurance  that  they  should  receive  an  answer 
when  the  American  army  had  arrived  opposite  Matamoras.  At  the 
same  time  Colonel  Twiggs  was  sent  forward  with  the  dragoons  to 
arrest  the  conflagration  and  capture  the  incendiaries.  Upon  his 
arrival  he  found  Point  Isabel  deserted  ;  both  citizens  and  military, 
with  General  Garcia  at  their  head,  having  fled  at  his  approach. 
The  public  buildings  had  been  fired,  but  he  succeeded  in  saving 
some  of  them. 

Meanwhile,  the  main  army  under  General  Worth  had  remained 
encamped  about  six  miles  from  the  point  of  its  separation  from 
General  Taylor.  Here  the  latter  joined  them  soon  after  the  capture 
of  Point  Isabel,  and  they  resumed  their  march  to  the  Rio  Grande. 
They  crossed  the  plain  where  subsequently  were  fought  the  battles 
of  the  8th  and  9th  of  May,  and  arrived  about  noon  of  the  28th  of 
March  opposite  Matamoras.  Here  the  army  formed  its  encampment, 
and  for  the  first  time  planted  the  American  flag  upon  the  shores  of 
the  "  Great  River  of  the  North." 

During  the  whole  course  of  this  fatiguing  march,  and  while  he 
was  stationed  at  Corpus  Christi,  the  commander  took  great  pains  to 
impress  upon  the  people  and  authorities  that  he  was  not  advancing 
as  an  enemy,  nor  to  make  war  upon  Mexico,  but  solely  to  assert  the 
right  of  the  United  States  to  Texas  up  to  the  Rio  Grande.  Even 
the  protest  of  the  Prefect  of  Tamaulipas,  and  the  warning  at  the 
Colorado,  h:id  led  to  no  harsh  words  or  violent  measures,  but  thus 
far  all  was  bloodless. 

In  his  despatches  of  the  29th  of  March  and  Gth  of  April,  General 
Taylor  thus  notices  his  fortifications  before  Matamoras,  and  the  dis 
positions  of  the  enemy: — "Our  approach  seems  to  have  created 
unusual  excitement  at  that  place,  and  a  great  deal  of  activity  has  been 
displayed"  (by  the  enemy)  "  since  our  arrival  in  the  preparation  of 
batteries.  *******The  attitude  of  the  Mexicans  is  so  far  decidedly 
hostile.  An  interview  has  been  held,  by  my  direction,  with  the 
military  authorities  of  Matamoras,  but  with  no  satisfactory  result." 
"  On  our  side  a  battery,  for  four  eighteen  pounders,  will  be  com 
pleted  and  the  guns  placed  in  battery  to-day.  These  "guns  bear 


48  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

directly  upon  the  public  square  of  Matamoras,  and  within  good 
range  for  demolishing  the  town.  Their  object  cannot  be  mistaken 
by  the  enemy." 

The  "  interview"  here  alluded  to,  was  held  between  General 
Worth  and  commanding  General  Mejia,  soon  after  our  flag  had  been 
displayed  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  Its  object  was  the  de 
livery  of  despatches  from  General  Taylor,  and  the  obtaining  of  an 
interview  with  the  American  Consul.  Mejia  did  not  attend  person 
ally,  but  was  represented  by  General  la  Vega,  the  Licenciado  Cen- 
sares,  and  Juan  N.  Garza,  aided  by  an  interpreter.  After  much 
altercation,  the  accepting  of  the  despatches  was  refused,  and  a 
similar  ominous  result  attended  the  request  of  an  interview  with  the 
consul. 

While  employed  in  the  erection  of  their  fortifications,  the  army 
received  intelligence  that  General  Ampudia  was  approaching  with  a 
large  force,  to  the  relief  of  Matamoras.  •  Soon  after,  the  following 
proclamation  was  circulated  through  the  American  camp : 

«  Tfie  Commander-in- Chief  of  the  Mexican  army  to  the  English  and  Irish 
under  the  orders  of  the  American  General  Taylor. 

"  KNOW  YE — That  the  government  of  the  United  States  is  com 
mitting  repeated  acts  of  barbarous  aggression  against  the  magnani 
mous  Mexican  nation ;  that  the  government  which  exists  '  under  the 
flag  of  the  stars'  is  unworthy  the  designation  of  Christian.  Recol 
lect  that  you  were  born  in  Great  Britain';  that  the  American  govern 
ment  looks  with  coldness  upon  the  powerful  flag  of  St.  George,  and 
is  provoking  to  a  rupture  the  warlike  people  to  whom  it  belongs, 
President  Polk  boldly  manifesting  a  desire  to  take  possession  of 
Oregon,  as  he  has  already  done  of  Texas.  Now  then  come  with 
all  confidence  to  the  Mexican  ranks ;  and  I  guarantee  to  you  upon 
my  honor  good  treatment,  and  that  all  your  expenses  shall  be  de 
frayed,  until  your  arrival  in  the  beautiful  capital  of  Mexico. 

"  Germans,  French,  Poles,  and  individuals  of  other  nations ! 
Separate  yourselves  from  the  Yankees,  and  do  not  contribute  to  de 
fend  a  robbery  and  usurpation,  which  be  assured,  the  civilized  nations 
of  Europe  look  upon  with  the  utmost  indignation.  Come  therefore 
and  array  yourselves  under  the  tri-colored  flag ;  in  the  confidence 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         49 

that  the  God  of  armies  protects  it,  and  that  it  will  protect  you 
equally  with  the  English. 

"PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA. 

"FRANCISCO  R.  MORENO,  Adft  of  the  Commander-in-Chief. 
" HEAD-QUARTERS  UPOX  THE  ROAD  TO  MATAMOHAS, 
April  2,  1 846." 

Such  a  proclamation,  of  course,  would  only  be  treated  with  contempt. 

Hitherto,  though  both  armies  stood  in  a  hostile  attitude,  nothing 
of  the  "last  resort  of  injured  nations"  had  actually  occurred.  This 
state  of  things  was  now  broken.  On  the  10th  of  April  an  event 
took  place,  which  though  it  involved  a  case  of  only  individual  suf 
fering,  yet  on  account  of  the  character  of  the  victim,  and  the  circum 
stances  attendant  upon  his  death,  was  sufficient  to  damp  the  high 
spirits  of  the  whole  army,  and  to  fill  its  officers  with  melancholy. 
That  event  was  the  murder  of  Colonel  Cross. 

He  had  ridden  out  in  the  morning,  accompanied  by  his  son,  to 
take  his  usual  morning  exercise.  In  a  short  time  the  son  returned 
without  his  father.  This  created  the  first  apprehensions,  which 
were  increased  by  the  non-appearance  of  the  colonel  at  night.  The 
army  became  alarmed,  scouts  were  despatched  in  every  direction, 
letters  were  sent  to  the  Mexican  general,  and  every  means  taken  to 
obtain  information  of  the  unfortunate  officer.  The  search  continued 
until  the  21st,  when  the  mutilated  body  was  found  and  brought  to 
the  army,  by  whom  it  was  solemnly  interred.  The  commander  of 
Matamoras  disclaimed  all  connection  with  his  death,  and  there  is  little 
reason  to  doubt  that  he  was  murdered  by  a  party  of  "rancheros"  or 
mounted  outlaws,  numbers  of  whom  then  infested  the  neighborhood. 

These  rancheros  are  a  sort  of  half-savage  population,  answering 
to  the  guachos  of  the  pampas  of  Buenos  Ayres.  They  spend  most 
of  their  time  on  horseback,  and  use  the  lasso,  a  long  cord  or  strip 
of  hide  with  a  noose  at  the  end,  which  they  throw  with  such  dex 
terity  as  to  catch  wild  horses  or  cattle,  or  drag  a  horseman  from  his 
seat.  Attached  to  an  army,  they  serve  as  a  sort  of  irregular  cavalry, 
and  under  certain  circumstances  might  become  nearly  as  formidable 
as  the  Cossacks  of  the  Don  were  in  ihe  disastrous  retreat  of  Napo 
leon  from  Moscow.  But  in  this  Mexican  war  their  want  of  disci 
pline  and  their  poltroonery,  have  rendered  them  rather  objects  of 

7 


50 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


contempt  than  apprehension  to  the  American  soldiers.  It  is  only 
the  straggler,  or  small  parties  detached  from  the  main  army  and  off 
their  guard,  that  they  have  ever  been  able  in  any  measure  to  annoy. 


A  Ran  chero. 

On  the  llth  General  Ampudia  entered  Matamo^s  at  the  head  of 
one  thousand  cavalry  and  fifteen  hundred  infantry,  and  assumed  the 
command.  The  Mexicans  hailed  his  entrance  by  the  ringing  of 
bells,  firing  of  cannon,  peals  of  music,  and  other  indications  of  ex 
travagant  joy.  His  arrival  was  little  less  welcome  to  the  Americans, 
as  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  harbinger  of  either  war  or  peace. 

The  commander  was  not  long  in  defining  his  position.  On  the 
morning  of  the  1 2th  he  sounded  for  a  parley,  and  sent  two  officers 
with  a  despatch  to  General  Taylor.  As  the  paper  is  curious,  we 
insert  it,  together  with  the  reply  : — 

"FOURTH  MILITARY  DITISION,") 
General-in-Chief.  3 

"  To  explain  to  you  the  many  grounds  for  the  just  grievances  felt 
by  the  Mexican  nation,  caused  by  the  United  States  government, 
would  be  a  loss  of  time,  and  an  insult  to  your  good  sense  ;  I  there 
fore  pass  at  once  to  such  explanations  as  I  consider  of  absolute 
necessity. 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         51 

"Your  government  in  an  incredible  manner — you  will  even  permit 
me  to  say  an  extravagant  one,  if  the  usage  or  general  rules  estab 
lished  and  received  among  all  civilized  nations  are  regarded — has  not 
only  insulted,  but  has  exasperated  the  Mexican  nation,  bearing  its 
conquering  banner  to  the  left  bank  of  the  Rio  Bravo  del  Norte  ;  and 
in  mis  case  by  explicit  and  definite  orders  of  my  government,  which 
neither  can,  will,  nor  should  receive  new  outrages,  I  require  you  in 
all  form,  and  at  latest  in  the  peremptory  term  of  twenty- four  hours, 
to  break  up  your  camp  and  retire  to  the  other  bank  of  the  Neuces 
river,  while  our  governments  are  regulating  the  pending  question  in 
relation  to  Texas.  If  you  insist  in  remaining  upon  the  soil  of  the 
department  of  Tamaulipas,  it  will  clearly  result  that  arms,  and  arms 
alone,  must  decide  the  question ;  and  in  that  case  I  advise  you  that 
we  accept  the  war  to  which,  with  so  much  injustice  on  your  part 
you  provoke  us,  and  that  on  our  part  this  war  shall  be  conducted 
conformably  to  the  principles  established  by  the  most  civilized 
nations ;  that  is  to  say,  that  the  law  of  nations  and  of  war  shall  be 
the  guide  of  my  operations ;  trusting  that  on  your  part  the  same  will 
be  observed. 

"  With  this  view  I  tender  you  the  considerations  due  to  your 
person  and  respectable  office. 

"  God  and  Liberty  ? 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  AT  MATAMORAS,  2  o'clock,  P.  M.,  April  12,  1846. 

'*  PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA. 
"  Sr.  General-in-Chief  U.  S.  Army, ") 
DON  Z.  TAYLOR."  3 

TAYLOR'S  REPLY. 

" HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  OF  OCCUPATION,  ~) 
Camp  near  Matamoras,  Texas,  April  12,  1846.      3 

*'  Senor :  I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  note  of  this  date, 
in  which  you  summon  me  to  withdraw  the  forces  under  my  com 
mand  from  their  present  position  and  beyond  the  river  Nueces,  until 
the  pending  question  between  our  governments,  relative  to  the  limits 
of  Texas,  shall  be  settled. 

"  I  need  hardly  advise  you  that,  charged  as  I  am  in  only  a  mili 
tary  capacity  with  the  performance  of  specific  duties,  I  cannot  enter 
into  a  discussion  of  the  international  question  involved  in  the  advance 


52  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

of  the  American  army.  You  will,  however,  permit  me  to  say,  that 
the  government  of  the  United  States  has  constantly  sought  a  settle 
ment  by  negotiation  of  the  question  of  boundary  ;  that  an  envoy  was 
despatched  to  Mexico  for  that  purpose,  and  that  up  to  the  most 
recent  dates,  said  envoy  had  not  been  received  by  the  actual  Mexican 
government,  if  indeed  he  has  not  received  his  passports  and  left  the 
republic,.  In  the  meantime,  I  have  been  ordered  to  occupy  the 
country  up  to  the  left  bank  of  the  Rio  Grande,  until  the  boundary 
shall  be  definitely  settled.  In  carrying  out  these  instructions  I  have 
carefully  abstained  from  all  acts  of  hostility,  obeying  in  this  regard, 
not  only  the  letter  of  my  instructions,  but  the  plain  dictates  of  jus 
tice  and  humanity. 

"  The  instructions  under  which  I  am  acting  will  not  permit  me 
toretrograde  from  the  position  I  now  occupy.  In  view  of  the  rela 
tions  between  our  respective  governments,  and  the  individual  suffer 
ing  which  may  result,  I  regret  the  alternative  which  you  offer;  but 
at  the  same  time  wish  it  to  be  understood,  that  I  shall  by  no  means 
avoid  such  alternative,  leaving  the  responsibility  with  those  who 
rashly  commence  hostilities.  In  conclusion,  you  will  permit  me  to 
give  you  the  assurance,  that  on  my  part  the  laws  and  customs  of 
war  among  civilized  nations  shall  be  carefully  observed. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant. 

«Sr.  GEX.  D.  PEDRO  D.  AMPUDIA." 

The  "  peremptory  term"  of  General  Ampudia  expired  without 
producing  any  other  result  than  an  anxious  inquietude  throughout 
the  American  army.  It  is,  however,  very  probable,  that  when  writ 
ing  his  communication,  he  really  intended  an  attack,  but  was  subse 
quently  hindered  by  the  refusal  of  the  citizens  of  Matamorns  to 
co-operate  with  him. 

On  the  18th,  the  American  army  was  called  to  lament  the  loss  of 
another  of  its  officers — Lieutenant  Theodoric  H.  Porter,  of  Pennsyl 
vania.  On  the  day  previous  he  had  set  out  with  ten  men  to  find 
the  body  of  Colonel  Cross,  and  on  the  18th  encountered  a  body  of 
armed  Mexicans,  who  numbered  as  he  supposed,  at  least  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty.  The  Americans  were  greeted  by  a  pretty  smart  fire, 
which  they  returned,  routing  the  enemy,  and  capturing  their  camp 
and  horses.  While  passing  through  a  wood  on  their  return,  the 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        5'3 

party  were  again  fired  upon,  by  a  hidden  foe.  Heavy  rains  had 
wetted  the  powder  of  the  Americans,  and  they  became  scattered  into 
groups  of  two  and  three.  They  lost  three  men  in  this  affair,  among 
whom  was  the  lieutenant,  said  to  have  been  stabbed  by  the  Mexi 
cans,  subsequent  to  receiving  a  shot  in  the  thigh.  He  was  a  son  of 
the  late  Commodore  Porter,  and  left  a  young  bride  to  lament  his 
untimely  death.  His  loss  was  severely  regretted  by  the  army. 

On  the  22d  a  correspondence  took  place  between  the  two  com-, 
manders,  relative  to  two  provision  vessels  bound  to  Matamoras, 
whose  progress  had  been  stopped  by  command  of  General  Taylor. 
The  letter  of  Ampudia  accuses  the  American  commander  of  violating 
the  laws  of  nations,  and  wantonly  and  unnecessarily  exposing  life 
and  property  by  a  blockade  of  the  Rio  Grande.  It  also  severely 
reprobates  the  occupation  of  Texas,  and  incidentally  threatens  a 
weighty  retribution,  in  case  the  Mexicans  should  meet  with  an  un 
locked  for  refusal,  of  certain  demands.  Both  these  letters  give  a 
very  lucid  picture  of  the  position  of  affairs  at  that  time,  and  we  in 
sert  them  entire. 

"  DlTISIOX  OF  THE  NoHTH,         ~> 

Second  General-in-Chief,  j 

"  From  various  sources  worthy  of  confidence,  I  have  learned  that 
some  vessels  bound  for  the  mouth  of  the  river,  have  not  been  able 
to  effect  an  entrance  into  that  port,  in  consequence  of  your  orders 
that  they  should  be  conducted  to  Brazos  Santiago.  The  cargo  of 
one  of  them  is  composed  in  great  part,  and  of  the  other  entirely  of 
provisions,  which  the  contractors  charged  with  providing  for  the 
army  under  my  orders  had  procured  to  fulfil  the  obligations  of  their 
contracts.  You  have  taken  possession  of  these  provisions  by  force, 
and  against  the  will  of  the  proprietors,  one  of  whom  is  vice-consul 
of  her  Catholic  Majesty,  and  the  other  of  her  Britannic  Majesty; 
and  whose  rights  instead  of  being  religiously  respected  as  was  prof- 
ferred,  and  as  was  to  be  hoped  from  the  observance  of  the  principles 
which  govern  among  civilized  nations,  have  on  the  contrary,  been 
violated  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner,  opposed  to  the  guarantee 
and  respect  due  to  private  property. 

"  Nothing  could  have  authorized  you  in  such  a  course.  The 
commerce  of  rations  is  not  suspended  or  interrupted,  except  in  con- 


54         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

sequence  of  a  solemn  declaration  of  blockade,  communicated  and 
established  in  the  form  prescribed  by  international  law.  Neverthe 
less,  you  have  infringed  these  rules ;  and  by  an  act  which  can  never 
be  viewed  favorably  to  the  United  States  government,  have  hindered 
the  entrance  to  a  Mexican  port,  of  vessels  bound  to  it  under  the  con 
fidence  that  commerce  would  not  be  interrupted.  My  duties  do  not 
allow  me  to  consent  to  this  new  species  of  hostility,  and  they  con 
strain  me  to  require  of  you,  not  only  that  the  vessels  taken  by  force 
to  Brazos  Santiago,  shall  be  at  liberty  to  return  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  but  the  restoration  of  all  the  provisions  which  besides  belong 
ing  to  private  contractors  were  destined  for  the  troops  on  this  fron 
tier.  I  consider  it  useless  to  inculcate  the  justice  of  this  demand, 
and  the  results  which  may  follow  an  unlocked  for  refusal. 

"  I  have  also  understood  that  two  Mexicans,  earned  down  in  a 
boat  by  the  current  of  the  river,  near  one  of  the  advanced  posts  of 
your  camp,  were  detained  after  being  fired  upon,  and  that  they  are 
still  kept  and  treated  as  prisoners.  The  individuals  in  question  do 
not  belong  to  the  army,  and  this  circumstance  exempts  them  from 
the  laws  of  war.  I  therefore  hope  that  you  will  place  them  abso 
lutely  at  liberty,  as  I  cannot  be  persuaded  that  you  pretend  to 
extend,  to  persons  not  military,  the  consequences  of  an  invasion 
which,  without  employing  this  means  of  rigor  against  unarmed  citi 
zens,  is  marked  in  itself  with  the  seal  of  universal  reprobation. 

"  I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  assure  you  of  my  distin 
guished  consideration. 

"  God  and  liberty. 
"MAT  AMOR  AS,  April  22,  1846. 

"  PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA. 

"  Sr.  Gen.  Don  Z.  TAYLOR." 

The  General's  reply  is  pointed  and  dignified.  He  enters  at 
length  into  the  treatment  which  he  had  received  from  Mexican  em 
bassies,  refutes  the  charges  of  violating  the  law  of  nations,  and  of 
cruelty,  and  firmly  challenges  the  threatened  "  results"  consequent 
upon  the  prosecution  of  his  course.  It  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  longest 
letters  which  the  General  ever  wrote. 

" HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  ov  OCCUPATION,") 
Camp  near  Matamoras,  Texas,  April  22,  1846.      3 
'*  SIR — I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  communication  of 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         55 

this  date,  in  which  you  complain  of  certain  measures  adopted  by  ray 
orders,  to  close  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Bravo  against  vessels  bound 
to  Matamoras,  and  in  which  you  also  advert  to  the  case  of  two  Mexi 
cans  supposed  to  be  detained  as  prisoners  in  this  camp. 

"  After  all  that  has  passed  since  the  American  army  first  ap 
proached  the  Rio  Bravo,  I  am  certainly  surprised  that  you  should 
complain  of  a  measure,  which  is  no  other  than  a  natural  result  of 
the  state  of  war  so  much  insisted  upon  by  the  Mexican  authorities, 
as  actually  existing  at  this  time.  You  will  excuse  me  for  recalling 
a  few  circumstances  to  show  that  this  state  of  war  has  not  been 
sought  by  the  American  army,  but  has  been  forced  upon  it,  and  that 
the  exercise  of  rights  incident  to  such  a  state  cannot  be  made  a  sub 
ject  of  complaint. 

"  On  breaking  up  my  camp  at  Corpus  Christi,  and  moving  for 
ward  with  the  army  under  my  orders  to  occupy  the  left  bank  of  the 
Rio  Bravo,  it  was  my  earnest  desire  to  execute  my  instructions  in  a 
pacific  manner ;  to  observe  the  utmost  regard  for  the  personal  rights 
of  all  citizens  residing  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  and  to  take  care 
that  the  religion  and  customs  of  the  people  should  suffer  no  viola 
tion.  With  this  view,  and  to  quiet  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants,  1 
issued  orders  to  the  army,  enjoining  a  strict  observance  of  the  rights 
and  interests  of  all  Mexicans  residing  on  the  river,  and  caused  said 
orders  to  be  translated  into  Spanish,  and  circulated  in  the  several 
towns  on  the  Bravo.  These  orders  announced  the  spirit  in  which 
we  proposed  to  occupy  the  country,  and  I  am  proud  to  say,  that  up 
to  this  moment  the  same  spirit  has  controlled  the  operations  of  the 
army.  On  reaching  the  Arroyo  Colorado,  I  was  informed  by  a 
Mexican  officer,  that  the  order  in  question  had  been  received  in 
Matamoras ;  but  was  told  at  the  same  time,  that  if  I  attempted  to 
cross  the  river,  it  would  be  regarded  as  a  declaration  of  war.  Again, 
on  my  march  to  Frontone,  I  was  met  by  a  deputation  of  the  civil 
authorities  of  Matamoras,  protesting  against  my  occupation  of  a  por 
tion  of  the  department  of  Tamaulipas,  and  declaring  that  if  the  army 
was  not  at  once  withdrawn  war  would  result.  While  this  commu 
nication  was  in  my  hands,  it  was  discovered  that  the  village  of  Fron 
tone  had  been  set  on  fire  and  abandoned.  I  viewed  this  as  a  direct 
act  of  war,  and  informed  the  delegation  that  their  communication 


56          LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

would  be  answered  by  me  when  opposite  Matamoras,  which  was 
done  in  respectful  terms.  On  reaching  the  river  I  despatched  an  officer, 
high  in  rank,  to  convey  to  the  commanding  general  in  Matamoras  the 
expression  of  my  desire  for  amicable  relations,  and  my  willingness 
to  leave  open  to  the  use  of  the  citizens  of  Matamoras  the  port  of 
Brazos  Santiago,  until  the  question  of  boundary  should  be  definitely 
settled.  This  officer  received  for  reply  from  the  officer  selected  to 
confer  with  him,  that  my  advance  to  the  Rio  Bravo  was  considered 
as  a  veritable  act  of  war,  and  he  was  absolutely  refused  an  interview 
with  the  American  consul,  in  itself  an  act  incompatible  with  a  state 
of  peace. 

"  Notwithstanding  these  repeated  assurances  on  the  part  of  the 
Mexican  authorities,  and  notwithstanding  the  most  obviously  hostile 
preparations  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  accompanied  by  a  rigid 
non-intercourse,  I  carefully  abstained  from  any  act  of  hostility,  de 
termined  that  the  onus  of  producing  an  actual  state  of  hostilities, 
should  not  rest  with  me.  Our  relations  remained  in  this  state  until 
I  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  note  of  the  12th  instant,  in  which 
you  denounce  war  as  the  alternative  of  my  remaining  in  this  posi 
tion.  As  I  could  not  under  my  instructions  recede  from  my  position, 
I  accepted  the  alternative  you  offered  me,  and  made  all  my  disposi 
tions  to  meet  it  suitably.  But,  still  willing  to  adopt  milder  measures 
before  proceeding  to  others,  I  contented  myself  in  the  first  instance, 
with  ordering  a  blockade  of  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  by  the 
naval  forces  under  my  orders — a  proceeding  perfectly  consonant 
with  the  state  of  war  so  often  declared  to  exist,  and  which  you  ac 
knowledge  in  your  note  of  the  10th  instant  relative  to  the  late  Colonel 
Cross.  If  this  measure  seem  oppressive,  I  wish  it  borne  in  mind  that 
it  has  been  forced  upon  me  by  the  course  you  have  seen  fit  to  adopt. 
I  have  reported  this  blockade  to  my  government,  and  shall  not  re 
move  it  until  I  receive  instructions  to  that  effect,  unless  indeed,  you 
desire  an  armistice  pending  the  final  settlement  of  the  question  be 
tween  the  governments,  or  until  war  shall  be  formally  declared  by 
either,  in  which  case  I  shall  cheerfully  open  the  river.  In  regard  to 
the  consequences  you  mention  as  resulting  from  a  refusal  to  remove 
the  blockade,  I  beg  you  to  understand  that  I  am  prepared  for  them, 
be  they  what  they  may. 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         57 

"  In  regard  to  the  particular  vessels  referred  to  in  your  communi 
cation,  I  have  the  honor  to  advise  you  that,  in  pursuance  of  my 
orders,  two  American  schooners  bound  for  Matamoras,  were  warned 
off*  on  the  17th  instant,  when  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  put  to 
sea,  returning  probably  to  New  Orleans.  They  were  not  seized,  or 
their  cargoes  disturbed  in  any  way,  nor  have  they  been  in  the  harbor 
of  Brazos  Santiago  to  my  knowledge.  A  Mexican  schooner  under 
stood  to  be  the  '  Juniata,'  was  in  or  off  that  harbor,  when  my  instruc 
tions  to  block  the  river  were  issued,  but  was  driven  to  sea  in  a  gale, 
since  which  time  I  have  had  no  report  concerning  her.  Since  the 
receipt  of  your  communication  I  have  learned  that  two  persons,  sent 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  procure  information  respecting  this  vessel, 
proceeded  thence  to  Brazos  Santiago,  where  they  were  taken  up 
and  detained  by  the  officer  in  command  until  my  orders  could  be 
received.  I  shall  order  their  immediate  release.  A  letter  from  one 
of  them  to  the  Spanish  vice-consul  is  respectfully  transmitted  here 
with. 

"  In  relation  to  the  Mexicans  said  to  have  drifted  down  the  river  in  a 
boat,  and  to  be  prisoners  at  this  time  in  my  camp,  I  have  the  pleasure 
to  inform  you  that  no  such  persons  have  been  taken  prisoners,  or  are 
now  detained  by  my  authority.  The  boat  in  question  was  carried  down 
empty,  by  the  current  of  the  river,  and  drifted  ashore  near  one  of  our 
pickets,  and  was  secured  by  the  guard.  Some  time  afterwards  an  at 
tempt  was  made  to  recover  the  boat  under  cover  of  the  darkness  ;  the 
individuals  concerned  were  hailed  by  the  guard,  and,  failing  to  answer 
were  fired  upon  as  a  matter  of  course.  What  became  of  them  is 
not  known,  as  no  trace  of  them  could  be  discovered  on  the  following 
morning.  The  officer  of  the  Mexican  guard  directly  opposite,  was 
informed  next  day  that  the  boat  would  be  returned  on  proper  appli 
cation  to  me,  and  I  have  now  only  to  repeat  that  assurance. 

"  In  conclusion,  I  take  leave  to  state,  that  I  consider  the  tone  of 
your  communication  highly  exceptionable  where  you  stigmatize  the 
movement  of  the  army  under  my  orders  as  '  marked  with  the  seal 
of  universal  reprobation.'  You  must  be  aware  that  such  language 
is  not  respectful  in  itself,  either  to  me  or  my  government;  and 
while  I  observe  in  my  own  correspondence  the  courtesy  due  to 
your  high  position,  and  to  the  magnitude  of  the  interests  with 

8 


58 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


which  we  are  respectively  charged,  I  shall  expect  the  same  in 
return. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Z.  TAYLOR, 

Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.,  Commanding, 
"  Sr.  Gen.  D.  PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA,  Commanding  in  Matamoras." 


• 


Fort    Brown. 

Such  was  the  disposition  of  the  two  armies  when  General  Arista 
arrived  and  superseded  Ampudia.  The  fort  opposite  Matamoras 
was  now  nearly  completed.  It  covers  a  large  area,  having  six  bas 
tion  fronts,  and  other  works  of  proportionate  strength ;  and  it  was 
evident,  from  the  daily  progress  of  events,  that  its  strength  would 
soon  he  needed. 

On  the  21st,  the  following  proclamation  was  circulated  among  the 
American  soldiers,  intended,  like  its  predecessor,  to  estrange  them 
from  the  cause  of  their  country.  It  met  with  a  similar  success. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  AT  MATAJIORAS,  "> 
April  20,  1846.      3 
Soldiers  ! — You  have  enlisted  in  time  of  peace  to  serve  in  that 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.         59 

army  for  a  specific  time  ;  but  your  obligations  never  implied  that  you 
were  bound  to  violate  the  laws  of  God,  and  the  most  sacred  right 
of  friends  !  The  United  States  government,  contrary  to  the  wishes 
of  a  majority  of  all  honest  and  honorable  Americans,  has  ordered  you 
to  take  forcible  possession  of  the  territory  of  a  friendly  neighbor, 
who  has  never  given  her  consent  to  such  occupation.  In  other  words, 
while  the  treaty  of  peace  and  commerce  between  Mexico  and  the 
United  States  is  in  full  force,  the  United  States  presuming  on  her 
strength  and  prosperity,  and  on  our  supposed  imbecility  and  cow 
ardice,  attempts  to  make  you  the  blind  instruments  of  her  unholy 
and  mad  ambition,  and  force  you  to  appear  as  the  hateful  robbers 
of  our  dear  homes,  and  the  unprovoked  violators  of  our  dearest  feel 
ings  as  men  and  patriots.  Such  villany  and  outrage  I  know  is 
perfectly  repugnant  to  the  noble  sentiments  of  any  gentleman,  and  it 
is  base  and  foul  to  rush  you  on  to  certain  death  in  order  to  aggran 
dize  a  few  lawless  individuals  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  God  and 
man  ! 

"  It  is  to  no  purpose  if  they  tell  you  that  the  law  for  the  annexation 
of  Texas,  justifies  your  occupation  of  the  Rio  Bravo  del  Norte  ;  for 
by  this  act  they  rob  us  of  a  great  part  of  Tamaulipas,  Coahuila, 
Chihuahua,  and  New  Mexico  ;  and  it  is  barbarous  to  send  a  hand 
ful  of  men,  on  such  an  errand,  against  a  powerful  and  warlike  nation. 
Besides,  most  of  you  are  Europeans,  and  we  are  the  declared  friends 
of  most  of  the  nations  of  Europe.  The  North  Americans  are  am 
bitious,  overbearing,  and  insolent  as  a  nation,  and  they  will  only  make 
use  of  you  as  vile  tools  to  carry  out  their  abominable  plans  of  pil 
lage  and  rapine. 

"  I  warn  you  in  the  name  of  justice,  honor,  and  your  own  interests 
and  self-respect,  to  abandon  their  desperate  and  unholy  cause,  and 
become  peaceful  Mexican  citizens.  I  guaranty  you  in  such  case, 
a  half-section  of  land,  or  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  to  settle 
upon,  gratis.  Be  wise  then,  and  just  and  honorable,  and  take  no 
part  in  murdering  us  who  have  no  unkind  feelings  for  you.  Lands 
shall  be  given  to  officers,  sergeants,  and  corporals,  according  to  rank, 
privates  receiving  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  as  stated. 

"  If  in  time  of  action  you  wish  to  espouse  our  cause,  throw  away 
your  arms  and  run  to  us,  and  we  will  embrace  vou  as  true  friends 


60         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

and  Christians.  It  is  not  decent  nor  prudent  to  say  more.  But 
should  any  of  you  render  important  service  to  Mexico,  you  shall 
be  accordingly  considered  and  preferred. 

M.  ARISTA, 

Commander^in- Chief  of  the  Mexican  Army" 

The  arrival  of  General  Arista  at  Matamoras,  seems  to  have  been 
the  signal  for  the  commencement  of  active  duties.  Every  day 
brought  fresh  rumors  that  large  bodies  of  Mexicans  either  were  cross 
ing  or  had  crossed  the  river,  and  were  marching  toward  the  American 
camp.  The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  of  General  Taylor  will 
show  his  position  prior  to  the  attack  upon  Captain  Thornton : 

"  Strong  guards  of  foot  and  mounted  men,  are  established  on  the 
margin  of  the  river,  and  thus  efficient  means  have  been  adopted  on 
our  part  to  prevent  all  intercourse.  While  opposite  to  us  their 
pickets  extend  above  and  below  for  several  miles,  we  are  equally 
active  in  keeping  up  a  strong  and  vigilant  guard  to  prevent  surprise 
or  attacks  under  disadvantageous  circumstances.  This  is  the  more 
necessary  while  we  are  to  act  on  the  defensive,  and  they  are  at 
liberty  to  take  the  opposite  course,  whenever  they  think  proper  to 
do  so.  Nor  have  we  been  idle  in  other  respects  ;  we  have  a  field 
work  under  way,  besides  having  erected  a  strong  battery,  and  a 
number  of  buildings  for  the  security  of  our  supplies,  in  addition  to 
some  respectable  works  for  their  protection.  We  have  mounted  a 
respectable  battery,  four  pieces  of  which  are  long  eighteen  pounders, 
with  which  we  could  batter  or  burn  down  the  city  of  Matamoras 
should  it  become  necessary  to  do  so.  When  our  field  work  is  com 
pleted — which  will  soon  be  the  case — and  mounted  with  its  proper 
armament,  five  hundred  men  could  hold  it  against  as  many  thousand 
Mexicans.  During  the  twenty-seven  days  since  our  arrival  here,  a 
most  singular  state  of  things  has  prevailed  all  through  the  outlines 
of  the  two  armies,  which  to  a  certain  extent  have  all  the  feelings  as 
if  there  were  actual  war." 

During  the  excitement  consequent  upon  the  above  mentioned 
rumors,  Captain  Ker  was  sent  down  the  river  as  far  as  Barita,  but 
without  gaining  any  information  of  the  reported  crossing.  Upon  his 
return  a  parley  was  sounded  from  the  Mexican  shore,  and  a  messen 
ger  brought  the  following  letter  to  the  American  General : 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR         61 


ARMT: 

"  The  course  of  events,  since  the  annexation  of  Texas  to  the 
United  States  was  declared,  has  been  so  clearly  hostile  to  Mexico, 
and  so  foreign  to  the  dignity  and  principles  which  the  Americans 
have  proclaimed  to  the  world,  that  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
their  policy  has  changed,  and  their  moderation  has  turned  into  a 
desire  of  aggrandizement,  enriching  themselves  by  humiliating  their 
neighbors. 

"  The  respect  and  consideration  that  friendly  nations  show  to  each 
other  have  been  trampled  upon,  by  which  reason  the  justice  and  ex 
cessive  moderation  of  Mexico  shine  forth  still  more.  Pressed  and 
forced  into  war,  we  enter  in  a  struggle  that  cannot  be  avoided  without 
failing  in  what  is  most  sacred  in  man. 

Political  discussions  do  not  appertain  to  military  men,  but  to  di 
plomatic  agents  ;  to  us  belongs  the  part  to  act,  without  it  occasioning 
any  surprise  that  the  troops  under  my  command  should  not  wait  for 
any  thing  else  to  give  battle. 

"  We  Mexicans  have  been  calumniated  as  barbarous,  in  the  most 
caustic  and  unjust  terms  ;  the  occasion  has  arrived  to  show  what  we 
are,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  in  the  troops  under  my  command,  there 
will  be  any  cause  to  confirm  such  suppositions,  as  they  will  cause 
to  shine  the  feelings  of  humanity  and  generosity  that  distinguish 
them. 

"  For  the  first  lime  I  have  the  honor  to  offer  your  excellency  my 
great  consideration. 

"  God  and  Liberty  ! 

MARIANO  ARISTA. 

"HEAD-QUARTERS,  MATAMORAS,  April  24,  1846." 

Direction  outside  —  "  Mariano  Arista,  General-in-Chief  of  the  Di 
vision  of  the  North,  to  the  General-in-Chief  of  the  forces  of  the 
United  States  encamped  opposite  Matamoras." 

Inclosed  was  the  following  private  note  : 

«  Sr.  GEX.  D.  Z.  TAYLOR. 

"  SIR  :  —  I  have  just  arrived  in  Matamoras,  to  take  command  of 
the  troops  that  the  government  of  my  country  have  confided  to  my 
care.  Your  urbanity,  as  well  as  the  customs  known  among  gentle 
men,  make  me  salute  you  with  all  friendliness  by  means  of  this 


62  LIFE  OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

private  communication,  assuring  you  that  since  fate  has  marked  us 
to  be  immediate  opponents  in  the  struggles  in  which  our  countries 
are  just  entering,  that  at  least  all  the  laws  of  courtesy  which  reign  be 
tween  generals,  carrying  on  a  war  between  civilized  nations,  will  be 
observed,  and  that  you  will  always  find  in  my  acts,  justice,  love  of 
humanity,  and  all  the  other  qualities  which  make,  in  the  present 
times,  war  less  barbarous  and  unlike  those  of  the  middle  ages. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  offering  myself,  with  such  motives,  your 
affectionate  servant, 

MARIANO  ARISTA. 
«MATAMORAS,  April  24,  1846. 

In  consequence  of  the  rumored  intentions  of  the  enemy,  Captain 
Thornton  was  despatched  on  the  24th  to  the  crossing,  above  the  fort, 
and  Captain  Ker  below.  Accompanying  Thornton  were  Captain 
Hardee,  Lieutenants  Mason  and  Kane,  and  sixty-one  men.  After 
proceeding  about  twenty-six  miles,  they  encountered  a  Mexican, 


American  Officer   and   Mexican   Guide. 

who  reported  that  at  a  short  distance  the  enemy  were  stationed  to 
the  number  of  two  thousand,  under  General  Torre jon.     Partly  from 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR.        63 

the  cowardice  of  their  Mexican  guide,  and  partly  from  ignorance  of 
the  country,  they  were  led  into  a  plantation  surrounded  by  a  thick 
chapparal  fence,  round  which  was  concealed  an  ambush  of  more  than 
ten  times  their  number.  Thornton,  followed  by  his  command, 
crossed  the  plantation  to  the  house,  where  he  commenced  conver 
sation  with  one  of  the  residents.  While  thus  engaged,  the  enemy 
took  possession  of  the  gate,  and  now  for  the  first  time,  the  party 
perceived  that  the  chapparal  was  crowded  with  infantry,  supported 
by  cavalry,  who  were  preparing  for  a  charge.  This  was  met  with 
gallantry  and  success ;  but  in  the  struggle  Lieutenant  Kane  was  un 
horsed,  and  the  captain  became  separated  from  his  command.  The 
whole  Mexican  force  now  poured  in  a  destructive  fire  upon  the  few 
men  under  Captain  Hardee,  who,  notwithstanding,  rallied  and  en 
deavored  to  retreat  by  way  of  the  river.  This  he  was  unable  to 
accomplish,  and  after  having  eleven  men  killed,  including  a  sergeant 
and  two  other  officers,  he  consented  to  surrender,  on  condition  of  his 
men  being  treated  as  prisoners  of  war,  declaring  that  if  this  were 
refused  they  would  continue  the  battle  at  all  hazards.  This  was 
acceded  to,  and  the  captain  and  twenty-five  men  were  carried  into 
Matamoras. 

The  bravery  of  Captain  Thornton  deserves  notice.  As  we  have 
stated,  he  met  the  charge  of  the  cavalry  with  success,  but  was  un 
able  to  break  the  crowded  lines  of  the  infantry  by  whom  they  were 
supported.  The  chapparal  was  at  this  time  in  one  wide  blaze  of 
fire,  and  in  rushing  toward  it  the  horse  of  the  captain  made  a  tre 
mendous  leap,  completely  clearing  the  whole  enclosure,  and  alighted 
in  the  midst  of  the  enemy.  This  feat,  however,  was  not  performed 
with  impunity ;  the  animal  received  a  severe  wound  at  the  very  mo 
ment  of  its  accomplishment,  and  was  subsequently  obliged  to  carry 
his  intrepid  rider  through  a  host  of  armed  men.  The  captain 
escaped  unwounded,  and  though  both  horse  and  rider  subsequently 
encountered  a  severe  fall,  he  succeeded  in  approaching  within  about 
five  miles  of  the  American  camp.  But  at  this  place  he  was  inter 
cepted  by  an  advance  guard  of  the  enemy,  and  conveyed  prisoner  to 
Matamoras. 

Lieutenant  Mason  was  killed  before  the  chapparal,  and  Kane  shared 
the  fate  of  Thornton. 


64         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Notwithstanding  the  disadvantages  against  which  the  Americans 
contended,  this  affair  was  a  source  of  unbounded  exultation  to  the 
enemy.  Besides  public  rejoicing  in  Matamoras,  Arista  wrote  to 
General  Torrejon  in  terms  of  congratulation,  which  would  have  been 
considered  extravagant  in  General  Taylor  after  the  battle  of  Pa'o 
Alto.* 

After  the  capture  of  Thornton,  the  Mexicans  crossed  the  river  in 
large  detachments,  and  moving  down  to  the  east  of  the  American 
camp,  spread  themselves  between  that  station  and  Point  Isabel.  All 
communication  between  the  two  places  was  thus  stopped,  and  the 
position  of  General  Taylor  became  critical.  Surrounded  by  an 
enemy  far  more  rnimerous  than  his  own  army,  cut  off  from  inter 
course  with  his  military  depot,  prohibited  by  superior  orders  from 
acting  on  the  offensive,  and  expecting  each  moment  either  to  be 
attacked  himself,  or  to  receive  news  of  the  destruction  of  Point 
Isabel,  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  his  mind  was  rilled  with  gloom 
and  anxiety.  In  addition  to  this,  he  had  but  eight  days*  rations  in 
camp,  all  his  stores  of  provision  being  at  the  other  station. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  first  step  of  the  General  was  to 
apprise  the  War  Department  at  Washington  that  actual  hostilities 
had  commenced.  He  also  wrote  to  the  governor  of  Texas  for 
twenty  companies  of  foot  riflemen,  and  to  the  governor  of  Louisiana 
for  four  regiments  of  infantry. 

Upon  leaving  Point  Isabel,  General  Taylor  had  appointed  for  its 
defence,  Major  John  Monroe,  at  the  head  of  two  companies  of  artil 
lery.  His  force  was  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  men,  besides 
which,  the  crews  of  vessels  in  the  harbor  united  for  his  assistance, 
augmenting  the  number  to  about  nine  hundred.  The  artillery  con 
sisted  of  sixteen  brass  six  pounders,  two  long  eighteens,  and  two  ship's 
guns.  The  garrison  was  amply  provided  with  powder  and  ball,  and 
the  works  were  sufficiently  strong  to  resist  an  enemy  three  times  as 
numerous  as  the  garrison.  The  fort  received  a  valuable  auxiliary  in 
a  body  of  Texan  Rangers,  commanded  by  Captain  Samuel  II. 
Walker,  a  young  man  who  had  greatly  distinguished  himself  in  the 
Texan  struggle,  in  which  he  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Mexi- 

*  Thorpe's  "  Our  Army  on  the  Rio  Grande." 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  MEXICAN  WAR          65 

cans  and  carried  to  Salado.*  Upon  his  arrival  at  the  fort,  he  was 
stationed  between  it  and  the  camp  of  General  Taylor,  with  instruc 
tions  to  keep  open,  if  possible,  the  communication  between  them. 
On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  having  ascertained  that  the  object  of 
the  Mexicans  was  to  surround  both  places,  he  set  out  with  about 
seventy-five  men,  intending  to  penetrate  to  the  camp. 

After  marching  about  twelve  miles  he  suddenly  encountered  a 

*  SAMUEL  H.  WALKER,  was  born  in  Prince  George  county,  Maryland,  and 
prior  to  the  present  war  with  Mexico,  was  principally  distinguished  for  his  in 
trepidity  and  misfortunes  in  the  Texan  struggle.  He  was  one  of  Colonel 
Fisher's  three  hundred  men  who  marched  against  two  thousand  Mexicans  sta 
tioned  at  Mier.  He  was  captured  by  the  enemy  previous  to  the  battle  at  that 
place,  while  on  an  excursion  into  their  territory,  and  after  the  defeat  of  the 
Texans,  he  was  marched,  with  the  other  prisoners,  to  Matamoras,  and  from 
thence  to  the  castle  of  Perote,  on  their  way  to  the  capital.  For  a  short  time 
the  prisoners  were  treated  kindly ;  but  as  they  receded  from  Texas,  the  Mexi 
can  officers  threw  off  their  reserve,  and  began  to  act  more  in  conformity  with 
the  cruel  disposition  they  had  hitherto  exhibited  against  the  revolutionists. 
When  they  arrived  at  Salado,  this  cruelty  had  become  so  intolerable  that  the 
prisoners  determined  to  revolt,  and  after  slaughtering  the  guard,  to  make  their 
escape.  Among  the  foremost  in  the  charge  was  Walker.  When  the  signal 
was  given,  he  seized  one  of  the  sentinels  at  the  inner  door  of  the  prison  yard, 
while  Cameron,  a  Scotchman,  seized  the  other.  Both  Mexicans  were  instantly 
disarmed,  and  the  Texans  rushed  into  the  outer  court,  where  the  arms  and  car 
tridge  boxes  were  guarded  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  Mexican  infantry.  These 
were  soon  driven  out,  and  while  the  Texans  were  arming  themselves,  the 
Mexican  cavalry  and  a  company  of  infantry,  formed  in  front  of  the  outer  gate. 
The  Texans  charged  through  them,  killing  nine  or  ten  and  wounding  more, 
with  a  loss  of  five  of  their  own  number  killed,  and  five  wounded.  The  Texans 
numbered  two  hundred  and  fourteen,  their  enemy  three  hundred.  The  party 
escaped,  but  subsequently  lost  their  way,  and  after  wandering  among  the  moun 
tains  and  suffering  the  extremities  of  hunger  and  thirst,  they  were  finally  re 
captured  by  straggling  parties,  and  brought  back  to  Salado.  Here  they  were 
decimated  by  Santa  Anna,  and  every  tenth  man  shot.  After  the  most  appalling 
sufferings,  Walker,  with  eight  others,  succeeded  in  escaping  from  the  city  of 
Mexico,  and  returned  to  Texas. 

This  expedition  originally  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-one  men.  Of 
these,  ten  were  killed  at  the  battle  of  Mier,  and  six  others  subsequently  died  of 
wounds  received  there ;  five  fell  at  the  revolt  at  Salado,  seventeen  were  shot  by 
decimation,  five  died  in  the  mountains,  thirty-five  of  suffering  and  starvation  in 
Mexico,  eleven  were  released  through  the  intervention  of  ministers,  eight 
wounded  at  Mier  effected  their  escape,  and  the  remainder,  including  Walker, 
escaped  from  Mexico. 

Walker  then  joined  the  Texan  revenue  service,  of  which  he  became  an  effi 
cient  member.  But  when  the  army  of  occupation  entered  the  country  on  its 
way  to  Corpus  Christi  and  Point  Isabel,  he  joined  the  forces  at  the  head  of  a 
body  of  partizan  rangers.  His  subsequent  career  is  given  in  the  text,  and  he  is 
now  distinguished  as  the  gallant  Captain  Walker  of  the  United  States  service. 


66 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


party  of  armed  Mexicans,  whose  number  he  estimated  at  fifteen 
hundred.  Most  of  his  men,  being  new  volunteers  and  entirely  inex 
perienced,  fled  with  precipitation.  The  remaining  few  met  the 
charge  of  the  enemy  with  firmness,  and  for  fifteen  minutes  sustained 
a  battle  against  forty  times  their  number.  They  then  retreated,  and 
were  pursued  till  within  cannon  shot  of  Point  Isabel.  The  captain 
estimates  the  loss  of  the  enemy  at  about  thirty  ;  his  own  has  never 
been  made  known. 

Walker  reached  the  fort  at  night  of  the  same  day,  and  with  an 
intrepidity  approaching  to  rashness,  offered  Major  Monroe  his  ser 
vices  to  carry  any  communication  to  General  Taylor,  provided  he 
could  be  granted  four  men  as  companions.  Although  the  proposal 
was  regarded  as  Quixotic,  he  obtained  permission,  and  six  men  im 
mediately  volunteered  to  accompany  him.  They  set  out  next  morn 
ing,  and  after  several  very  narrow  escapes,  reached  General  Taylor's 
camp  on  the  30th. 


Walker's    Expedition  setting    out. 


Maj  or    Ringgold  . 

CHAPTER  IV. 

battle  of 


PON  the  reception  of  Captain  Wal 
ker's  intelligence,  General  Taylor 
resolved  to  set  out  in  person  with  the 
greater  part  of  his  army,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  relieving  Point  Isabel  and 
g  effecting  the  transportation  of  his  sup 
plies.  Accordingly,  leaving  Major 
Brown  in  command  of  the  works, 
assisted  by  two  companies  of  artillery 
and  the  seventh  regiment  of  infantry 
under  Lieutenant  Bragg  and  Captain 

Lowd,  he  left  the  camn  on  the  1st  of  May,  and  without  any  inter- 

67 


(58         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

ruption  reached  Point  Isabel  next  day.  He  found  the  place  com 
pletely  invested,  and  the  utmost  anxiety  and  excitement  prevailing 
among  the  troops. 

No  sooner  had  General  Taylor  marched  from  the  fort  on  the  Rio 
Grande,  than  it  became  the  theatre  of  most  important  operations. 
Matamoras  hailed  his  departure  by  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  loud 
shouts  from  the  deceived  populace,  who  fondly  dreamed  of  a  "  retreat" 
by  the  American  army.  The  El  Monitor  Republicano  of  May 
4th,  after  expatiating  on  the  admirable  arrangements  of  Arista,  thus 
notices  the  removal  of  the  American  forces  : 

"  General  Taylor  dared  not  resist  the  valor  and  enthusiasm  of  the 
sons  of  Mexico.  Well  did  he  foresee  the  intrepidity  with  which  our 
soldiers  would  rush  against  the  usurpers  of  the  national  territory. 
Well  did  he  know  the  many  injuries  which  were  to  be  avenged  by 
those  who  had  taken  up  arms,  not  to  aggrandize  themselves  with 
the  spoils  of  the  property  of  others,  but  to  maintain  the  independence 
of  their  country.  Well  did  he  know,  we  repeat  it,  that  the  Mexi 
cans  would  be  stopped  neither  by  trenches,  nor  fortresses,  nor  large 
artillery.  Thus  it  was  that  the  chief  of  the  American  forces,  fright 
ened  as  soon  as  he  perceived  from  the  situation  and  proximity  of  his 
camp  that  our  army  were  preparing  to  cross  the  river,  left  with  pre 
cipitation  for  Point  Isabel  with  almost  all  his  troops,  eight  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  a  few  wagons.  Their  march  was  observed  from  our 

position  and here  let  me  pay  to  our  brave  men  the  tribute 

which  they  deserve.  The  express  verbally  informed  some  of  the 
troops  which  had  not  yet  arrived  at  the  ford,  of  the  escape  of  the 
Americans  ;  in  one  instant  all  the  soldiers  spontaneously  crossed  the 

river,  almost  racing  one  with  another The  terror 

and  haste  with  which  the  latter  fled  to  the  fort,  to  shut  themselves 
up  in  it  and  avoid  a  conflict,  frustrated  the  active  measures  of  the 
most  excellent  Senor  General  Arista,  which  were  to  order  the  cavalry 
to  appear  in  the  plain,  and  to  cut  off  the  flight  of  the  fugitives.  But 
it  was  not  possible  to  do  so,  notwithstanding  their  forced  march  dur 
ing  the  night.  General  Taylor  left  his  camp  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  as  fear  has  wings,  he  succeeded  in  shutting  himself 
up  in  the  fort.  When  our  cavalry  reached  the  point  where  they 
were  to  detain  him,  he  had  already  passed  and  was  several  leagues 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  69 

ahead.  Great  was  the  sorrow  of  our  brave  men  not  to  have  been 
able  to  meet  the  enemy  face  to  face ;  their  defeat  was  certain,  and 
the  main  body  of  that  invading  army  who  thought  that  they  inspired 
the  Mexicans  with  so  much  respect,  would  have  disappeared  in  the 
first  important  battle.  But  there  was  some  fighting  to  be  done,  and 
the  Americans  do  not  know  how  to  use  other  arms  than  those  of 
duplicity  and  treachery.  Why  did  they  not  remain  with  firmness 
under  their  colors  ?  Why  did  they  abandon  the  ground  which  they 
pretend  to  usurp  with  such  iniquity  ?  Thus  has  an  honorable 
general  kept  his  word.  Had  not  General  Taylor  said  in  all  his 
communications,  that  he  was  prepared  to  repel  all  hostilities  ?  Why 
then  does  he  fly  in  so  cowardly  a  manner  to  shut  himself  up  at  the 
Point  ?  The  commander-in-chief  of  the  American  army  has  covered 
himself  with  opprobrium  and  ignominy,  in  sacrificing  a  part  of  his 
forces  whom  he  left  in  the  fortifications,  to  save  himself;  for  it  is 
certain  that  he  will  not  return  to  their  assistance — not  that  he  is 
ignorant  of  their  peril,  but  he  calculates  that  his  would  be  greater,  if 
he  had  the  temerity  of  attempting  to  resist  the  Mexican  lances  and 
bayonets  in  the  open  plain." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  the  Mexican  army  in  Matamoras 
opened  upon  the  fort  with  a  battery  of  seven  guns.  The  fire  was 
steadily  returned  by  the  Americans,  who  in  about  twenty  minutes 
silenced  that  of  the  enemy.  A  heavy  cannonade  was  then  com 
menced  by  the  Mexican  lower  fort  and  a  mortar  battery,  which  was 
kept  up  without  intermission  until  midnight.  In  this  bombardment 
the  enemy  expended  about  fifteen  hundred  shells  and  shot,  but 
although  these  were  directed  principally  at  the  workmen,  who  labored 
at  the  unfinished  fortifications  during  the  whole  attack,  yet  they  did 
very  little  execution. 

Victory  in  this  first  day's  attack  declared  for  neither  party  ;  the 
Mexicans  however,  as  will  be  perceived  by  the  following  extract 
from  the  El  Rcpublicano,  May  4th,  appropriated  with  their  usual 
liberality  all  the  glory  to  themselves,  denouncing  the  conduct  of  the 
Americans  as  brutal,  impotent,  and  cowardly,  and  arrogating  com 
plete  success  for  the  future : 

"  But  let  us  relate  the  glorious  events  of  yesterday.  As  Aurora 
dawned  we  began  to  fire  from  our  ramparts  on  the  fortifications  of 


70         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

the  enemy,  and  the  thunder  of  Mexican  cannon  was  saluted  by  the 
reveille  from  every  point  of  our  line,  by  the  bell  of  the  parochial 
church,  and  by  the  vivas  of  the  inhabitants  of  Matamoras.  In  a 
moment  the  streets  were  filled,  and  all  were  rejoiced  to  see  at  last 
the  hour  arrived  when  we  were  to  give  a  terrible  lesson  to  the  Ame 
rican  camp,  whose  odious  presence  could  no  longer  be  tolerated. 
The  enemy  answered,  but  they  were  soon  convinced  that  their  ar 
tillery,  although  of  a  superior  calibre,  could  not  compete  with  ours. 
After  a  fire  of  five  hours  our  ramparts  remained  immovable,  on  ac 
count  of  the  solidity  of  their  construction,  and  the  intelligence  with 
which  the  rules  of  art  had  been  observed.  The  same  did  not  hap 
pen  to  the  American  fortifications,  whose  bastions  were  so  completely 
demolished,  that  towards  11  o'clock  in  the  morning  their  artillery 
ceased  to  play  and  their  fire  was  hushed.  We  continued  to  fire 
with  activity  during  the  day,  without  the  enemy's  daring  to  respond 
to  us,  because  the  parapets  under  which  they  would  shelter  them 
selves  being  destroyed,  they  had  not  courage  to  load  their  guns  which 

remained  uncovered Unequalled  glory  and  eternal  honor 

to  our  brave  countrymen. 

"  The  enemy  in  their  impotent  rage,  and  before  they  concealed 
their  shame  behind  the  most  distant  parapets,  had  the  barbarous  plea 
sure  of  aiming  their  guns  towards  the  city  to  destroy  its  edifices,  as 
it  was  not  in  their  power  to  destroy  the  fortifications  from  which 
they  received  so  much  injury.  This  wicked  revenge  which  only 
springs  from  cowardly  and  miserable  souls,  did  not  meet  with  the 
success  expected  by  those  who  so  unworthily  adorn  themselves  with 
the  titles  of  sauans  and  philanthropists.  Their  stupidity  was  equal 
to  their  wickedness.  Almost  all  the  balls  passed  too  high,  and 
those  which  touched  the  houses,  although  they  were  eighteen-poim- 
ders,  did  not  cause  any  other  mischief  but  that  of  piercing  one  or  two 
walls." 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  4th,  Cap 
tain  Walker  with  six  rangers,  reached  the  fort  from  Point  Isabel. 
The  cannonade  had  been  heard  at  that  station,  and  as  it  continued 
hour  after  hour,  it  created  the  most  thrilling  excitement.  General 
Taylor  determined  to  know  something  of  the  garrison,  and  selected 
Captain  May  to  effect  a  communication.  He  had  one  hundred 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  71 

men,  and  was  accompanied  by  Captain  Walker  with  six  of  the 
Texan  rangers.  He  was  instructed  to  choose  a  position  favorable 
to  reconnoitering  the  enemy,  and  from  which  he  might  with  safety 
detach  Walker  to  the  major,  but  on  no  account  to  risk  a  battle.* 

May  set  out  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  3d,  and  at  nine 
had  marched  so  far  as  to  perceive  the  guard  fires  of  the  enemy,  who 
were  encamped  at  Palo  Alto.  By  skilful  manoeuvering  he  escaped 
the  observation  of  the  enemy,  and  marching  round  their  front,  con 
cealed  his  party  behind  a  chapparal  between  the  Mexicans  and  the 
Rio  Grande.  Walker  was  then  despatched  to  the  fort,  with  direc 
tions  to  learn  the  force  of  any  enemy  he  might  encounter,  as  well  as 
to  ascertain  if  Major  Brown  was  still  able  to  maintain  his  position. 
He  arrived  at  the  fort  without  meeting  the  enemy,  and  after  obtain 
ing  fresh  horses,  set  out  to  rejoin  Captain  May.  On  arriving  at  the 
station  where  he  had  left  that  officer,  he  found  it  deserted,  and  that 
large  bodies  of  the  Mexicans  had  scattered  themselves  in  various 
directions  to  intercept  him  and  his  rangers.  He  therefore  returned 
to  the  camp,  where  he  remained  during  that  day. 

The  command  of  Captain  May  had  remained  near  the  chapparal 
until  they  were  discovered  by  the  enemy.  It  now  became  danger 
ous  to  remain  longer,  and  as  it  was  very  probable  that  Walker  had 
been  captured,  orders  were  given  to  return  to  Point  Isabel.  On  the 

*  Very  little  is  known  of  the  biography  of  Colonel  May  previous  to  the  pre 
sent  war.  He  is  a  native  of  the  city  of  Washington,  and  son  of  Dr.  May.  "  On 
organizing  the  second  regiment  of  dragoons  during  General  Jackson's  adminis 
tration,  he  was  among  those  who,  from  civil  life  received  a  commission  as  lieu 
tenant  in  the  corps,  and  was  ordered  to  Florida,  where  the  regiment  was 
subjected  to  severe  active  service  against  the  Seminoles,  and  the  lieutenant  was 
entrusted  with  many  responsible  duties.  One  of  these  led  him  into  a  personal 
rencontre  with  the  celebrated  chief  of  the  tribe,  Philip,  upon  whose  camp  a 
charge  was  made,  and  the  chieftain  knocked  down  and  secured  by  Lieutenant 
May,  just  as  he  raised  his  rifle  to  shoot  that  officer." 

May  is  now  a  captain  in  the  American  ar.uy,  and  is  noted  for  the  intrepidity 
and  efficiency  of  his  cavalry  charges,  especially  the  brilliant  one  of  Resaca  de 
la  Palma,  where  he  captured  General  la  Vega,  and  all  his  park  of  artillery.  He 
has  lately  visited  the  United  States,  advancing  as  far  north  as  Washington,  and 
being  every  where  received  with  the  warmest  enthusiasm. 

The  captain  is  said  to  present  a  whimsical  appearance.  His  form  is  long 
and  lean,  and  his  hair  and  beard  so  long  as  to  stream  behind  him,  as  he  rides  in 
the  wind.  His  favorite  charger  "Tom,"  appears  to  be  as  singular  as  his  rider, 
and  both  together,  to  use  the  language  of  a  volunteer,  are  enough  to  frighten 
the  Mexicans. 


72          LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

way  he  encountered  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  lancers,  whom  he 
charged,  routed,  and  pursued  for  about  three  miles  toward  their 
camp.  He  then  proceeded  toward  Point  Isabel,  which  he  reached 
at  nine  o'clock. 

Meanwhile,  the  soldiers  under  Major  Brown  were  industriously 
laboring  at  the  fort.  Since  the  departure  of  General  Taylor  they 
had  worked  night  and  day,  even  while  continually  exposed  to  the 
batteries  of  the  enemy ;  and  the  works  were  now  considered  strong 
enough  to  resist  any  effort  of  the  Mexicans.  Throughout  the  whole 
of  the  4th  a  renewal  of  the  bombardment  was  confidently  expected, 
but  in  this  the  garrison  were  disappointed. 

In  the  evening  Captain  Walker  made  a  second  attempt  to  reach 
Point  Isabel  and  was  successful.  His  success  was  mainly  owing 
to  his  perfect  knowledge  of  the  country  and  of  the  enemy's  positions. 

Major  Brown  had  been  instructed  not  to  attempt  relieving  himself 
by  a  sally  from  the  fort ;  yet  he  was  not  permitted  to  remain  long 
idle.  Throughout  the  morning  of  the  5th,  thousands  of  Mexican 
troops  filled  the  plain,  evincing  by  their  varied  movements,  that  pre 
parations  were  then  in  progress  for  an  assault.  It  was  soon  ascer 
tained  that  they  had  erected  a  strong  battery  during  the  night  in  the 
rear  of  the  fort,  and  that  a  vigorous  cannonading  was  to  be  commenced 
on  both  sides  of  the  river.  At  about  five  in  the  afternoon,  this  bat 
tery  commenced  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  garrison,  which  was  imme 
diately  seconded  by  the  cannon  of  Matamoras.  These  were  vigor 
ously  answered  by  the  six-pound  howitzer  batteries  of  the  fort,  and 
after  a  little  while  the  assailants  ceased  firing.  Considerable  recon- 
noitering  now  took  place  between  light  bodies  of  the  Mexicans  and 
a  few  Americans  under  Lieutenant  Hanson,  who  had  obtained  per 
mission  from  Major  Brown  to  leave  the  fort  for  that  purpose.  Be 
fore  midnight  the  works  were  completely  invested,  and  according 
to  a  preconcerted  signal,  Major  Brown  discharged  his  eighteen 
pounders,  at  regular  intervals,  to  inform  General  Taylor  of  his 
situation. 

On  the  6th,  the  firing  was  renewed  on  the  part  of  the  enemy, 
but  the  Americans  having  but  a  scanty  supply  of  ammunition,  were 
obliged  to  remain  quiet. 

Hitherto  we  have  seen  the  bombardment  carried  on  with  little 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  73 

loss  to  the  garrison ;  they,  however,  were  to  feel  the  scourge  of  war 
as  well  as  the  enemy ;  and  the  6th  of  May  became  memorable  for 
the  fall  of  their  brave  commander.  In  the  afternoon,  he  had  been 
taking  his  customary  official  round  among  the  soldiers,  and  stopped 
for  a  moment  to  give  instructions  to  some  of  the  men  who  were  en 
gaged  in  constructing  the  works.  Suddenly  a  shell  struck  the 
ground  near  him,  tearing  up  the  soil  in  large  fragments,  and  com 
pletely  enveloping  the  major  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  He  was  observed 
to  fall,  and  to  the  horror  of  the  soldiers,  the  air  became  clear  only  to 
exhibit  the  sad  spectacle  of  their  suffering  commander.  His  right 
leg  had  been  shattered  by  the  shell,  and  part  of  it  thrown  to  some 
distance  from  the  body.  He  bore  his  sufferings  without  a  murmur, 
and  while  being  carried  to  the  hospital  by  his  men,  he  exhorted 
them  to  do  their  duty  as  faithfully  as  before,  and  by  no  means 
to  surrender  the  fort.  Amputation  above  the  knee  was  immediately 
effected,  but  the  wound  was  of  so  aggravated  a  nature  that  he  sur 
vived  but  three  days.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  command  by 
Captain  Hawkins.* 

Meanwhile  the  firing  of  the  Mexicans  was  unintermittingly  sus 
tained  ;  practice  seemed  to  give  precision  to  their  aim,  and  the  ground 

*  MAJOR  J.  BROWN,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years  entered  the  American  army  as  a  common  soldier  in  the  seventh  infantry, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  in  nearly  all  the  hard 
fought  battles  on  the  Niagara,  where  his  merit  was  soon  perceived,  and  won  for 
him  an  ensign's  commission.  Before  the  close  of  the  war  he  obtained  a  lieu 
tenancy,  and  from  that  rose  by  regular  gradations  to  the  rank  of  major,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  many  years.  For  some  time  he  filled  the  office  of  com 
missary  of  subsistence  at  Council  Bluffs,  afterwards  quartermaster  and  commis 
sary  at  St.  Louis,  and  for  a  while  was  engaged  in  conducting  the  tribes  of 
emigrant  Indians  to  the  west.  He  was  also  in  active  service  during  the  whole 
period  of  the  war  in  Florida.  In  giving  him  the  command  of  the  fort  opposite 
Matamoras,  General  Taylor  displayed  his  sagacity  in  the  knowledge  of  character 
and  officer-like  qualities  in  a  comrade  in  arms,  which  perhaps  his  observation 
and  actual  experience  helped  him  to  foresee.  He  found  also,  that  his  confidence 
in  the  major  was  not  misplaced,  and  it  will  ever  be  a  matter  of  regret  that  the 
gallant  officer  should  have  fallen  before  his  task  was  successfully  finished,  and 
the  laurel  placed  on  his  brow.  His  habits  of  exact  discipline  and  exact  ac 
countability  made  his  services  always  in  request;  and  as  he  possessed  the  con 
fidence  of  his  superiors,  and  the  good  will  of  those  under  his  command,  he  was 
an  officer  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term.  General  Taylor  says  of  him :  "  The 
pleasure  [of  victory]  is  alloyed  with  profound  regret  at  the  loss  of  the  heroic 
and  indomitable  Major  Brown.  His  loss  would  be  a  severe  one  to  the  service 
at  any  time,  but  to  the  army  under  my  orders,  it  is  indeed  irreparable." 

10 


74          LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

within  the  whole  range  of  the  fort  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
ploughed  field.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  enemy  opened  from  Mata- 
moras  with  one  mortar,  and  from  the  field  in  the  rear  with  two ;  and 
at  half-past  ten  some  infantry  crept  up  into  a  ravine,  and  discharged 
some  small  arms  and  musketry ;  but  being  out  of  range,  their  fire 
was  not  returned.  At  ten  o'clock  next  morning  Lieutenant  Bragg 
discharged  several  rounds  of  canister  upon  parties  of  mounted  men 
and  infantry,  apparently  endeavoring  to  surround  his  rear.  This 
dispersed  them,  but  elicited  in  return  a  shower  of  shells  from  the 
different  batteries,  which  rained  without  intermission  until  half-past 
eleven  o'clock. 

About  four  o'clock  the  Mexicans  sounded  a  parley,  and  sent  to  the 
fort  a  delegation  of  two  officers,  bearing  a  white  flag.  They  brought 
a  communication  from  General  Arista,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
translation : 

"  MEXICAN  ARMY,  DIVISION  OF  THE  NORTH,  ") 
General-in-Chief.      3 

"  You  are  besieged  by  forces  sufficient  to  take  you  ;  and  there  is, 
moreover,  a  numerous  division  encamped  near  you,  which  free  from 
all  other  cares,  will  keep  off  any  succors  which  you  may  expect  to 
receive.  The  respect  for  humanity  acknowledged  at  the  present 
age  by  all  civilized  nations,  doubtless  imposes  upon  me  the  duty  of 
mitigating  the  disasters  of  war. 

"This  principle,  which  Mexicans  observe  above  all  other  nations, 
obliges  me  to  summon  you,  as  all  your  efforts  will  be  useless,  to  sur 
render  in  order  to  avoid  by  a  capitulation,  the  entire  destruction  of 
all  the  soldiers  under  your  command. 

"  You  will  thus  afford  me  the  pleasure  of  complying  with  the  mild 
and  benevolent  wishes  above  expressed,  which  distinguish  the  char 
acter  of  my  countrymen,  whilst  I,  at  the  same  time,  fulfil  the  most 
imperious  of  the  duties  which  my  country  requires  for  the  offences 
committed  against  it. 

"  God  and  Liberty  ! 

" HEAD-QUARTERS  AT  THE  FAUQ.UES  DEL  RAMINERO,  Mai/  Gf/i,  1846. 

M.  ARISTA." 

Upon  the  reception  of  this  document  Captain  Hawkins  convened 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  75 

a  council  of  his  officers,  who,  upon  consultation,  unanimously  ac 
ceded  to  the  following  reply  : 

« HEAD-QUARTERS  U.  S.  FORCES,      "> 
Near  Matamoras,  May  6,  1846,  5  P.  M.^ 

"  SIR — Your  humane  communication  has  just  been  received,  and 
after  the  consideration  due  to  its  importance,  I  must  respectfully  de 
cline  to  surrender  my  forces  to  you. 

"  The  exact  purport  of  your  despatch  I  cannot  feel  confident  that 
I  understood,  as  my  interpreter  is  not  skilled  in  your  language  ;  but 
if  I  have  understood  you  correctly,  you  have  my  reply  above. 
"  I  am,  sir,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"E.  S.  HAWKINS, 

"  Commanding  U.  S.  Forces  opposite  Matamoras. 
"  GENERAL  M.  ARISTA,  Commanding  Division  of  the  North." 

Upon  the  reception  of  this  reply,  the  Mexicans  re-opened  their 
batteries,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon  and  a  great  pa  t 
of  the  night,  poured  forth  a  continual  shower  of  bombs,  shells  and 
shot.  The  garrison  expected  a  night  assault ;  but  were  disappointed. 

The  morning  of  the  7th  opened  with  a  heavy  cannonading  from 
the  city,  which  now  seemed  to  be  the  favorite  position  of  the  enemy. 
After  a  short  time  the  firing  ceased,  but  was  again  renewed,  proceed 
ing  languidly  until  two  o'clock,  when  all  the  batteries  simultaneously 
burst  forth  with  terrific  violence,  and  continued  without  intermission 
until  evening.  This  fire  was  very  annoying  to  the  Americans,  de 
stroying  tents,  sheds,  utensils,  and  many  other  articles ;  and  to  add 
to  the  mortification  of  the  garrison,  they  were  obliged  to  remain  pas 
sive  spectators  in  consequence  of  the  scarcity  of  their  ammunition. 

At  dark,  Captain  Mansfield,  of  the  engineer  corps,  was  sent  with 
one  hundred  men  to  level  the  traverse,  thrown  up  by  General  Worth 
on  the  Rio  Grande,  together  with  some  clumps  of  chapparal,  behind 
both  of  which  the  enemy  were  accustomed  to  conceal  themselves  in 
order  to  gall  the  Americans.  This  he  accomplished  by  midnight, 
at  which  time  commenced  a  random  fire  of  musketry,  accompanied 
by  a  sounding  of  bugles,  which  continued  until  daylight.  The  gar 
rison  felt  now  certain  of  being  attacked,  but  they  were  again  dis 
appointed.  Before  morning  all  was  quiet;  but  at  sunrise  the 
bombardment  was  renewed  with  great  energy,  continuing  with  little 


76  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

intermission  until  the  afternoon.  But  although  nearly  three  hundred 
shells  and  large  shot  were  precipitated  into  the  fort,  not  a  single 
American  was  either  killed  or  wounded. 

In  the  afternoon  the  heavy  sound  of  distant  cannon  suddenly  broke 
upon  the  ears  of  the  garrison.  It  was  repeated — there  could  be  no 
mistake  as  to  its  origin.  Each  soldier  started  to  his  feet,  and  listened 
with  a  thrill  of  breathless  anxiety  for  its  return  ;  and  at  each  peal  a 
shout  more  loud  than  the  Mexican  batteries,  rolled  along  the  Ameri 
can  lines.  That  sound  was  the  voice  of  General  Taylor  at  Palo 
Alto.  In  the  evening  a  Mexican  deserter  arrived  at  the  fort  with  a 
white  flag,  and  gave  an  account  of  the  battle.  No  news  could  have 
been  more  grateful  to  the  wearied  garrison ;  for  six  days  they  had 
scarcely  known  rest  or  sleep ;  but  with  their  beloved  commander 
once  more  near  them,  they  knew  that  victory  would  henceforth  be 
easy. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  the  firing  was  heard  from 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  announcing  a  re-engagement ;  and  about  sunset 
the  besiegers  of  the  fort  beat  a  retreat. 

Such  were  the  principal  events  at  Fort  Brown*  after  the  depar 
ture  of  General  Taylor.  In  reviewing  the  conduct  of  the  garrison, 
we  are  struck  with  their  indomitable  valor  and  perseverance.  Be 
sieged  by  a  far  superior  force  of  the  enemy,  deprived  of  intercourse 
with  their  only  means  of  succor,  and  limited  in  food  and  ammuni 
tion,  they  did  not  for  one  moment  swerve  from  their  high  position 
as  American  soldiers.  Arista's  overtures  of  capitulation  were  re 
jected  with  scorn,  and  his  assaults  sustained  with  firmness.  The 
defence  of  Fort  Brown  will  ever  be  considered  a  master  piece  of 
courage  and  valor. 

We  now  return  to  the  main  army  under  General  Taylor. 

The  General  reached  Point  Isabel  on  the  2d  of  May,  without 
having  encountered  a  single  Mexican.  The  next  day  he  heard  the 
cannonading  of  Fort  Brown,  but  received  no  important  intelligence 
until  the  4th,  when  Captain  May  arrived  and  reported  that  he  had 
passed  the  camp  of  a  heavy  Mexican  force,  stationed  on  the  road  to 
Matamoras. 

The  situation  of  the  American  commander  was  one  of  great  peril. 

*  So  called  by  General  Taylor  in  honor  of  its  defender,  Major  J.  Brown. 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  77 

The  number  and  intentions  of  the  enemy  were  unknown,  as  was 
also  the  future  fate  of  Fort  Brown  ;  but  it  was  certain  that  the  enemy 
would  use  every  effort  to  prevent  the  junction  of  his  forces.  Un 
appalled,  however,  by  this  threatening  array,  he  declared  to  the  army 
his  intention  of  marching  to  the  relief  of  the  fort ;  and  orders  to  that 
effect  were  issued  on  the  7th  of  May.  In  the  evening  the  main 
body,  to  the  amount  of  two  thousand  men,  accompanied  by  two  hun 
dred  and  fifty  wagons,  left  Point  Isabel  and  marched  about  seven 
miles,  where  they  stopped  and  passed  the  night.  The  next  morning 
they  again  moved  forward  until  they  arrived  at  a  wide  level  prairie, 
flanked  on  both  sides  by  small  pools  of  fresh  water.  The  plain  was 
more  than  three  miles  in  extent,  and  beyond  it,  facing  the  American 
army,  were  extended  lines  of  chapparal,  prickly  pear,  and  a  species 
of  tree  called  by  the  Mexicans  Palo  Alto.  Here  a  scene  thrilling 
and  impressive  in  character  burst  upon  the  American  army.  The 
enemy,  numbering  more  than  six  thousand,  were  stretched  directly 
across  the  road  in  an  unbroken  line  of  more  than  a  mile  in  length. 

General  Taylor  now  made  his  dispositions  for  battle,  which  were 
as  follows :  On  the  extreme  right,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mclntosh 
with  the  fifth  infantry ;  Major  Ringgold's  artillery ;  Captain  N.  L. 
Norris  and  third  infantry ;  two  eighteen  pounders,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Churchill  of  the  third  artillery;  fourth  infantry  com 
manded  by  Major  G.  W.  Allen;  third  brigade,  composed  of  the 
third  and  fourth  regiments,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Garland.  These 
together  with  two  squadrons  of  dragoons  under  Captains  Ker  and 
May,  composed  the  right  wing,  under  the  orders  of  Colonel  Twiggs. 
The  first  brigade,  composed  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Child's  battalion 
of  artillery,  and  the  eighth  infantry  under  Captain  Montgomery, 
formed  the  left  wing,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Belknap.  The  train  was  stationed  near  the  water,  under  the  direction 
of  Captains  Grossman  and  Myers,  and  protected  by  Captain  Ker's 
squadron. 

At  two  o'clock  the  army  commenced  its  march  toward  the  enemy, 
having  been  previously  ordered  to  refresh  themselves  with  draughts 
of  cold  water  from  the  neighboring  pools.  While  the  columns  were 
advancing,  Lieutenant  Blake  of  the  topographical  engineers,  having 
received  perrr*  'sion  to  reconnoitre,  galloped  forward  to  within  rifle- 


78  LIFE  OF  GEiNERAL  TAYLOR. 

shot  of  the  Mexican  line,  where  he  dismounted,  and  with  his  spy 
glass  coolly  surveyed  their  ibices.  Being  approached  by  two  of 
their  officers,  who  were  under  the  impression  that  he  sought  a 
parley,  he  remounted,  rode  in  a  parallel  line  between  the  two  armies 
and  returned.  This  handsome  conduct  was  of  some  use,  as  it  re 
sulted  in  the  discovery  of  two  batteries  of  artillery  between  the  cavalry 
and  infantry  of  the  enemy. 

The  Americans  continued  to  advance  until  the  opposing  armies 
were  within  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  each  other,  when  the  Mexi 
can  batteries  on  the  right  opened  a  heavy  fire,  and  were  almost 
immediately  followed  by  a  loud  burst  from  the  artillery  of  the  whole 
line.  The  advancing  columns  were  now  halted,  and  formed  into 
line,  while  at  the  same  time  the  fire  of  the  enemy  was  answered  by 
Churchill's  eighteen  pounders,  and  the  artillery  of  Ringgold  and 
Duncan.  The  latter  had  soon  to  sustain  the  combined  efforts  of  the 
Mexicans ;  and  but  for  the  want  of  precision  in  their  aim,  would 
have  been  completely  annihilated.  Every  cannon  was  now  in  ser 
vice,  and  the  battle  raged  with  terrific  grandeur.  At  each  discharge 
of  Churchill  and  Ringgold,  the  cavalry  of  the  enemy  was  seen  to 
open,  announcing  the  entrance  of  a  messenger  of  death,  and  though 
for  a  long  while  each  gap  was  steadily  filled  up,  yet  at  length  the 
slaughter  became  so  tremendous,  that  in  about  two  hours  after  its 
commencement,  they  gave  ground  and  collected  for  a  charge. 

During  all  this  time  the  infantry  had  remained  idle  spectators  ;  but 
the  moment  was  arriving  when  they  would  be  called  to  take  an 
active  part  in  the  engagement.  Captain  Walker  reported  that  General 
Torrejon,  with  a  company  of  lancers  and  two  pieces  of  artillery, 
were  moving  through  the  chapparal  evidently  with  the  design  of  at 
tacking  the  train ;  and  the  fifth  infantry,  supported  by  a  part  of 
Ringgold 's  battery  and  Walker's  volunteers,  were  ordered  to  oppose 
this  movement.  The  lancers,  amounting  to  fifteen  hundred,  were 
first  met  by  Ridgely's  batteries,  and  their  artillery  obliged  to  retreat. 
The  fifth  regiment  then  opened  upon  them,  and  were  soon  followed 
by  the  third  infantry,  both  batteries  operating  with  terrible  effect. 
Unable  to  stand  so  tremendous  a  fire,  the  lancers  broke  and  fled  on 
all  sides,  leaving  hundreds  of  their  men  and  horses  dead  on  the  field. 
The  battle  had  now  become  general,  raging  with  such  fury  as  to  en 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  79 

velopc  boih  armies  in  the  smoke  of  artillery,  and  even  to  set  on  fire 
the  long  grass  of  the  prairie. 

The  firing  of  the  Mexicans  now  ceased,  and  for  an  hour  both 
armies  remained  quiet.  Meanwhile  the  enemy  formed  a  new  line 
of  battle,  and  the  American  general  ordered  forward  the  eighteen 
pounders  nearly  to  the  position  first  occupied  by  the  lancers,  and 
caused  the  first  brigade  to  take  up  a  new  position  still  on  the  left 
of  the  eighteen  pounder  battery.  The  fifth  infantry  was  also  ad 
vanced  from  its  former  position,  and  occupied  the  ground  to  the 
extreme  right  of  the  new  line. 

These  changes  effected,  the  battle  recommenced  with  great  fury. 
The  artillery  of  Churchill  and  Ringgold  did  even  more  execution 
than  before ;  and  yet  the  broken  ranks  of  the  enemy  were  filled  up 
with  a  promptness  and  courage  which  excited  the  admiration  of  their 
antagonists  In  order  to  throw  them  into  confusion,  Captain  May's 
squadron  was  ordered  to  charge,  if  possible,  the  left ;  but  after  con 
siderable  loss  he  was  obliged  to  desist  from  a  paucity  of  troops. 
Meanwhile  the  fourth  infantry  was  exposed  to  a  most  galling  fire  of 
artillery,  by  which  they  lost  a  large  number  in  killed  and  wounded, 
and  among  the  latter  Captain  Page.  About  the  same  time,  while 
Major  Ringgold  was  directing  one  of  his  pieces,  he  was  mortally 
wounded  by  a  cannon  ball  which  passed  through  both  his  thighs  and 
the  body  of  his  horse.* 

*  Samuel  Ringgold  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Maryland,  in  1800. 
His  father  was  General  Samuel  Ringgold,  and  his  mother  a  daughter  of  Gene 
ral  John  Cadwalader,  so  renowned  in  the  annals  of  the  American  revolution. 
Young  Ringgold  was  sent  to  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  in  1814,  and 
was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in  1818,  having  creditably  performed  the 
arduous  duties  and  requirements  of  that  institution.  He  entered  the  army 
as  lieutenant,  and  was  soon  after  recommended  to  General  Scott,  whose 
head-quarters  were  then  at  Philadelphia.  Being  satisfied  with  his  merit,  as 
well  as  somewhat  acquainted  with  his  family,  the  general  immediately  selected 
him  for  one  of  his  aids,  and  he  repaired  to  head-quarters  and  joined  the  staff,  in 
which  he  remained  for  nearly  three  years.  During  that  time  he  enjoyed  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  superior,  and  profited  greatly  by  the  instruction  he 
received  under  so  accomplished  a  soldier.  He  possessed  qualities  of  heart  and 
mind  which  endeared  him  to  his  associates  and  superiors,  and  was  one  of  the 
few  who  may  be  said  to  have  no  enemies,  although  belonging  to  a  profession  so 
eminently  calculated  to  engender  envy  and  rivalry. 

Upon  leaving  the  staff  he  entered  active  service,  doubly  qualified  by  the  ad 
vantages  he  had  enjoyed,  and  the  close  application  he  had  pursued  while  in 
this  honorable  position.  He  was  attached  to  the  third  regiment  as  lieutenant 


80         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

During  these  movements,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Childs's  artillery  had 
been  brought  up  to  support  the  artillery  on  the  right.  As  the  cavalry 
of  the  enemy  were  now  advancing,  notwithstanding  a  severe  cannon- 
by  brevet,  and  in  July  1822,  he  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant  in  the  place  01 
Samuel  Spotts,  who  had  been  raised  to  captain. 

In  1831,  he  accompanied  his  command  to  Fort  Moultrie,  S.  C.,  where  he 
remained  until  the  difficulties  occasioned  by  the  "nullification"  question  were 
ended.  In  July  of  the  following  year,  1 834,  he  received  the  rank  of  captain  by 
brevet,  to  date  from  May  8th,  1832.  In  August  1836,  he  was  promoted  to 
captain,  and  assigned  company  C,  third  artillery.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  same 
month  he  was  sent,  with  his  command,  to  Savannah,  Ga.,  in  order  to  garrison 
the  fort  at  that  place ;  and  shortly  after  he  was  commanded  to  Florida,  where  he 
served  through  the  greater  part  of  the  war,  to  the  great  injury  of  his  health. 
The  rank  of  major  by  brevet  was  conferred  upon  him  for  his  "  meritorious  ser 
vices"  in  that  territory. 

By  orders  of  November  5th,  1838,  his  company  was  disbanded,  and  he  was 
instructed  to  proceed  to  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  organize  and  equip  a  company  ot 
light  artillery.  This  was  in  conformity  with  an  act  of  1831,  to  "  authorize  the 
mounting  and  equipment  of  a  part  of  the  army  of  the  United  States,"  the 
men  to  be  entailed  from  the  first  and  second  artillery,  and  to  be  dropped  from 
the  rolls  of  their  respective  companies,  and  mustered  as  company  C  of  third 
regiment.  The  major's  former  company,  then  in  the  field,  was  broken  up,  and 
the  men  transferred  to  other  companies  of  the  regiment,  the  subalterns  only 
joining  the  company  of  Carlisle. 

Major  Ringgold  now  applied  himself  diligently  to  perfecting  the  discipline  in 
this  arm  of  the  military  service.  His  efforts  were  highly  successful,  and  mainly 
through  his  instrumentality  and  that  of  Captain  Duncan,  the  flying  artillery  has 
become  the  most  important  military  branch  in  service.  Though,  perhaps,  never 
thoroughly  tested  until  on  the  plains  of  the  Rio  Grande,  yet  the  great  share  it 
there  contributed  toward  a  successful  result,  has  distinguished  it  as  one  so  valu 
able,  as  to  demand  the  serious  attention  of  the  government  in  order  perfectly  to 
organize  and  extend  it.  The  performances  of  the  flying  artillery  in  an  engage 
ment  are  of  the  most  ingenious  character,  and  the  effects  of  the  battery  the  most 
destructive  to  an  enemy.  The  necessary  arms  are  the  sword,  pistol,  and  cannon, 
the  latter  used  almost  as  expertly  as  the  former.  "  They  advance  rapidly,  halt 
with  astonishing  suddenness,  dismount,  separate  their  cannon  from  the  carriages, 
replace  them,  mount,  and  start  off  again.  At  a  certain  signal  after  the  firing, 
they  instantly  drop ;  while  the  enemy,  supposing  them  disabled,  venture  too 
near,  and  in  an  instant  are  completely  surprised,  and  are  shot  down  before  they, 
can  collect  themselves." 

Major  Ringgold  was  ordered  from  Fort  McHenry  to  Texas  with  the  "  army 
of  observation."  When  General  Taylor  left  Point  Isabel  on  the  7th  of  May, 
the  major,  with  his  regiment,  occupied  a  position  near  the  vanguard.  At  Palo 
Alto  the  Mexicans  opened  their  batteries  on  the  right,  half  a  mile  from  the  Ameri 
can  line,  and  were  answered  by  two  eighteen-pounders  in  charge  of  Lieutenant 
Churchill.  Ringgold  took  position  to  the  right  and  front  of  the  eighteen  pounders, 
at  a  distance  of  seven  hundred  yards  from  the  enemy  (subsequently  advancing 
one  hundred  yards)  and  opened  his  battery  with  tremendous  effect.  He  pointed 
the  guns  with  his  own  hand,  and  with  unerring  precision,  directing  the  shot  not 
only  to  groups  and  masses  of  the  enemy,  but  to  particular  individuals.  He  saw 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  81 

ade,  the  battalion  of  artillery  was  formed  into  square,  in  order  to 
receive  their  charge ;  but  when  the  advanced  squadrons  were  within 
close  range,  a  fire  of  canister  from  the  eighteen  pounders,  dispersed 

them  fall  in  numbers;  their  places  occupied  by  others,  who  in  their  turn  were 
shot  down,  and  he  declared  that  "  he  felt  as  confident  of  hitting  his  mark  as 
though  he  had  been  using  a  rifle."  During  all  this  time  the  infantry  were 
formed  as  a  support  in  his  rear,  and  cheered  rapturously  the  brilliant  movements 
and  destructive  execution  of  his  battery. 

At  length  a  regiment  of  the  enemy's  lancers  were  seen  to  make  a  demonstration 
toward  the  right,  apparently  to  gain  possession  of  the  wagon  train.  Lieutenant 
Ridgely  was  detached  with  two  pieces  to  check  them,  leaving  the  major  with  but 
a  small  number  of  men.  He  continued,  however,  to  play  upon  the  enemy  with 
his  two  remaining  pieces,  advancing,  retrograding,  or  shifting  his  position,  ac 
cording  to  the  nature  of  the  action,  for  three  hours,  when  he  was  shot  through 
both  thighs  by  a  six-pound  ball.  He  was  mounted  at  the  time,  and  the  ball 
came  from  the  right,  passing  through  his  right  thigh,  about  midway,  at  right 
angles  through  the  holsters,  tore  away  the  front  part  of  the  saddle  and  the  horse's 
shoulders,  and  passed  into  the  major's  left  thigh.  An  officer  ran  to  his  aid,  but 
the  major  exclaimed — "  Don't  stay  with  me  :  you  have  work  to  do — go  ahead." 
He  was  conveyed  to  his  camp  under  charge  of  Dr.  Byrne,  placed  in  comfortable 
quarters,  and  his  wounds  dressed.  A  great  quantity  of  muscles  and  integu 
ments  were  carried  away  from  both  thighs,  and  yet  the  arteries  were  not  divided, 
nor  the  bones  broken.  Dr.  Foltz,  surgeon  of  the  United  States  army,  remained 
with  him  during  the  night.  He  had  but  little  pain,  and  at  intervals  slept.  He 
continued  to  grow  worse  through  the  9th,  but  conversed  cheerfully  upon  the 
incidents  of  the  battle,  constantly  adverting  to  the  efficiency  of  his  guns,  and  the 
brave  conduct  of  his  officers  and  men.  He  died  at  one  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  10th  of  May,  and  was  buried  on  the  next  day  with  military  honors,  la 
mented  by  the  whole  camp. 

"  He  was  an  accomplished  gentleman,  beloved  by  his  friends,  and  respected 
by  all.  He  was  devoted  to  his  profession,  and  justly  appreciated  the  high  re 
sponsibilities  of  an  officer  in  command.  He  rigidly  enforced  discipline  at  all 
times, and  in  all  things;  and  yet,  probably,  no  officer  had  more  entirely  the  respect, 
the  confidence,  and  the  affectionate  regard  of  all  his  officers  and  men." 

The  Philadelphia  North  American  thus  speaks  of  his  death: — 

"  The  death  of  this  accomplished  officer  is  a  heavy  loss  to  the  country.  Pie 
had  been  entrusted  with  the  revision  of  a  system  of  tactics  for  our  army,  and 
devoted  much  time  and  study  to  improving  upon  the  English  and  French  sys 
tems.  His  corps  was  as  fine  a  one  as  any  service  could  boast.  He  leaves 
unfinished  we  think,  a  work  which  he  was  preparing  on  the  utility  and  practi 
cability  of  the  flying  artillery  arm  in  service.  Major  Ringgold's  constitution  was 
much  impaired  by  his  long  campaigns  in  Florida,  but  passionately  attached  to 
the  profession  of  arms,  he  still  remained  in  the  army,  and  died  a  martyr  to  his 
country. 

"  His  death  has  stricken  thousands  of  hearts,  that  gush  under  the  blow  with 
feelings  which  no  ordinary  public  calamity  could  have  excited.  He  was  gene 
rally  known  and  appreciated  in  this  city  as  the  Bayard  of  the  age — the  star  of 
the  war ;  and  his  career  was  watched  with  anxious  eyes  and  hearts.  That  it 
would  be  glorious  no  one  doubted ;  but  who  thought  that  an  orb  so  bright  would 
sink  so  early?  The  soul  of  chivalry  and  honor,  accomplished  as  a  soldier,  lofty 

11 


82          LIFE  OP  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

them.  The  fire  of  the  enemy  now  ceased,  and  with  it  the  action 
on  the  right  of  the  American  line. 

Meanwhile  the  enemy  had  made  a  serious  attack  against  the  left. 
Their  movements  were  for  a  while  concealed  by  the  smoke  of  the 
burning  plain  ;  but  this  having  dispersed,  Captain  Duncan  discovered 
and  communicated  to  Lieutenant  Belknap  the  fact,  that  the  enemy 
were  moving  the  entire  cavalry  and  infantry  of  their  right  wing  upon 
the  train  in  rear  of  the  American  left.  He  was  ordered  to  proceed 
to  the  threatened  point  immediately,  and  hold  the  enemy  in  check, 
until  the  eighth  infantry  could  come  to  his  support.  He  rapidly 
advanced  in  full  view  of  the  enemy,  moving  so  unexpectedly  that 
they  were  compelled  to  halt,  before  a  shot  had  been  fired  or  a  gun 
unlimbered,  and  engaged  them  within  range  of  their  small  guns. 

A  strong  body  of  the  enemy's  infantry,  supported  by  two  squad 
rons  of  cavalry,  now  issued  from  the  extreme  right  point  of  the 
chapparal,  and  moved  forward  to  an  attack.  They  were  driven  back 
by  a  discharge  of  shells  and  round  shot  from  a  part  of  the  battery, 
the  other  part  in  the  meanwhile  playing  upon  the  cavalry,  which  had 
halted  in  front  of  the  guns.  Their  broken  column  rallied  and  re 
turned  to  the  attack,  but  were  again  repulsed  in  greater  disorder  than 
before.  At  the  same  moment  the  cavalry  which  had  hitherto  main 
tained  their  ground,  rushed  back  upon  the  advance  columns,  commu 
nicating  a  panic  from  squadron  to  squadron,  until  their  entire  right 
wing  was  in  full  retreat.  The  artillery  continued  its  fire  until  the 
enemy  had  gained  the  chapparal,  when  darkness  put  an  end  to  the 
battle. 

The  force  of  each  army  in  this  battle,  together  with  the  killed  and 
wounded  and  other  incidental  matter,  will  be  gathered  from  the  des 
patches  of  the  two  commanders  which  we  insert. 

as  a  patriot,  beloved  as  a  man,  it  demands  an  agonizing  struggle  to  reconcile  us 
to  such  a  sacrifice.  And  yet  it  is  a  noble  one.  In  the  flash  of  his  fame  he  has 
died,  as  he  lived — for  his  country.  The  offering  was  doubtless  a  glad  one.  He 
desired  no  better  fate  than  such  a  death ;  he  could  leave  no  richer  inheritance 
than  such  an  example.  While  we  feel  as  if  destiny  had  robbed  the  future  of 
the  fame  which  such  a  nature  must  have  won,  we  dare  not  repine  that  his  career 
has  been  closed  in  its  morning  with  this  sunburst  of  glory.  His  memory  will 
be  gratefully  cherished  so  long  as  honor  has  a  victory,  freedom  a  hero,  or  his 
country  a  name." 


BATTLE  Of  PALO  ALTO.  83 


UK  an  QUARTERS,  ARMY 
Camp  at  Palo  Alto,  Texas,  May  9//i,  1846. 

SIR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  I  was  met  near  this  place 
yesterday,  on  my  march  from  Point  Isabel,  by  the  Mexican  forces, 
and  after  an  action  of  about  five  hours,  dislodged  them  from  their 
position  and  encamped  upon  the  field.  Our  artillery,  consisting  of 
two  eighteen  pounders  and  two  light  batteries,  was  the  arm  chiefly 
engaged,  and  to  the  excellent  manner  in  which  it  was  manoeuvred 
and  served,  is  our  success  mainly  due. 

The  strength  of  the  enemy  is  believed  to  have  been  about  six 
thousand  men  with  seven  pieces  of  artillery  and  eight  hundred  cav 
alry.  His  loss  is  probably  at  least  one  hundred  killed.  Our  strength 
did  not  exceed,  all  told,  twenty-three  hundred  men,  while  our  loss  was 
comparatively  trifling  —  four  men  killed,  three  officers  and  thirty-seven 
men  wounded,  several  of  the  latter  mortally.  I  regret  to  say  that 
Major  Ringgold,  third  artillery,  and  Captain  Page,  fourth  infantry, 
are  severely  wounded  ;  Lieutenant  Luther,  second  artillery,  slightly 
so. 

The  enemy  has  fallen  back,  and  it  is  believed  has  repassed  the 
river.  I  have  advanced  parties  now  thrown  forward  in  his  direction, 
and  shall  move  the  main  body  immediately. 

In  the  haste  of  this  first  report,  I  can  only  say,  that  the  officers  and 
men  behaved  in  the  most  admirable  manner  throughout  the  action. 
I  shall  have    the  pleasure  of  making  a  more  detailed  report,  when 
those  of  the  different  commanders  shall  be  received. 
I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Z.  TAYLOR, 

Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.  Commanding. 
The  AJUUTAXT-GEXERAL  U.  S.  Army. 
Washington  D.  C. 

The  exact  force  of  General  Taylor  was  177  officers  and  2111  men. 
The  Mexicans  amounted  to  more  than  six  thousand,  and  it  is  pro 
bable  that  their  loss  was  far  greater  than  is  staled  in  the  following 
despatch  :  — 

GEXERAL-IX-CHIEF 

MOST  EXCELLENT  SIR  :  Constant  in  my  purpose  of  preventing 
General  Taylor  from  uniting  the  forces  which  he  brought  from  the 
Fronton  of  Santa  Isabel  with  those  which  he  left  fortified  opposite 


84  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   TAYLOR. 

Matamoras,  I  moved  this  day  from  the  Fauques  del  Raminero,  whence 
I  despatched  my  last  extraordinary  courier,  and  took  the  direction  of 
Palo  Alto,  as  soon  as  my  spies  informed  me  that  the  enemy  had  left 
Fronton,  with  the  determination  of  introducing  into  his  fort,  wagons 
loaded  with  provisions  and  heavy  artillery. 

I  arrived  opposite  Palo  Alto  about  one  o'clock,  and  observed  that 
the  enemy  were  entering  that  position. 

With  all  my  forces  I  established  the  line  of  battle  in  a  great  plain, 
my  right  resting  upon  an  elevation,  and  my  left  on  a  slough  of  dif 
ficult  passage. 

Scarcely  was  the  first  cannon  fired  when  there  arrived  General 
Pedro  de  Ampudia,  second  in  command,  whom  I  had  ordered  to  join 
me  after  having  covered  the  points  which  might  serve  to  besiege  the 
enemy  in  the  forts  opposite  Matamoras. 

The  forces  under  my  orders  amounted  to  3000  men,  and  twelve 
pieces  of  artillery ;  those  of  the  invaders  were  3000,  rather  less  than 
more,  and  were  superior  in  artillery,  since  they  had  twenty  pieces 
of  the  calibre  of  sixteen  and  eighteen  pounders. 

The  battle  commenced  so  ardently  that  the  fire  of  the  cannon  did 
not  cease  a  single  moment.  In  the  course  of  it  the  enemy  wished  to 
follow  the  road  towards  Matamoras,  to  raise  the  siege  of  his  troops  ; 
with  which  object  he  fired  the  grass,  and  formed  in  front  of  his 
line  of  battle  a  smoke  so  thick,  that  he  succeeded  in  covering 
himself  from  our  view,  but  by  means  of  manoeuvres  this  was 
twice  embarrassed. 

General  Taylor  maintained  his  attack  rather  defensively  than 
offensively,  employing  his  best  arm  which  is  artillery,  protected  by 
half  of  the  infantry,  and  all  of  his  cavalry, — keeping  the  remainder 
fortified  in  the  ravine,  about  two  thousand  yards  from  the  field  of 
battle. 

I  was  anxious  for  the  charge  because  the  fire  of  cannon  did  much 
damage  in  our  ranks,  and  I  instructed  General  D.  Anastosia  Torrejon 
to  execute  it  with  the  greater  part  of  the  cavalry,  by  our  left  flank, 
while  one  should  be  executed  at  the  same  time  by  our  right  flank, 
with  some  columns  of  infantry  and  the  remainder  of  that  arm  (cavalry). 

I  was  waiting  the  moment  when  that  general  should  execute  the 
charge,  and  the  effect  of  it  should  begin  to  be  seen  in  order  to  give 


BATTLE  OF  PALO  ALTO.  85 

the  impulse  on  the  right,  but  he  was  checked  by  a  fire  of  the  enemy 
which  defended  a  slough  that  embarrassed  the  attack. 

Some  battalions  becoming  impatient  by  the  loss  which  they 
suffered,  fell  into  disorder,  demanding  to  advance  or  fall  back.  I 
immediately  caused  them  to  charge  with  a  column  of  cavalry  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  D.  Cayetano  Montero ;  the  result  of  this 
operation  being  that  the  dispersed  corps  repaired  their  fault  as  far  as 
possible,  marching  towards  the  enemy,  who  in  consequence  of  his 
distance  was  enabled  to  fall  back  upon  his  reserve,  and  night  coming 
on  the  battle  was  concluded — the  field  remaining  for  our  arms. 

Every  suitable  measure  was  then  adopted,  and  the  division  took 
up  a  more  concentrated  curve  in  the  same  scene  of  action. 

The  combat  was  long  and  bloody,  which  may  be  estimated  from 
the  calculations  made  by  the  commandant  general  of  artillery, 
General  D.  Thomas  Requena,  who  assures  me  that  the  enemy  threw 
about  three  thousand  cannon  shots  from  two  in  the  afternoon,  when 
the  battle  commenced,  until  seven  at  night  when  it  terminated — six 
hundred  and  fifty  being  fired  on  our  side. 

The  national  arms  shone  forth,  since  they  did  not  yield  a  hand's 
breadth  of  ground,  notwithstanding  the  superiority  in  artillery  of 
the  enemy,  who  suffered  much  damage. 

Our  troops  have  to  lament  the  loss  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  two 
men,  dispersed,  wounded  and  killed, — the  last  worthy  of  national 
recollection  and  gratitude  for  the  intrepidity  with  which  they  died 
fighting  for  the  most  sacred  of  causes. 

Will  your  excellency  please  with  this  note,  to  report  to  his  ex 
cellency  the  President,  representing  to  him  that  I  will  take  care  to  give 
a  circumstantial  account  of  this  deed  of  arms  ;  and  recommending  to 
him  the  good  conduct  of  all  the  generals,  chief  officers  and  soldiers 
under  my  orders,  for  sustaining  so  bloody  a  combat,  which  does  honor 
to  our  arms  and  exhibits  their  discipline. 

Accept  the  assurances  of  my  consideration  and  great  regard. 

God  and  Liberty ! 
HEAD  QUARTERS  PALO  ALTO,  in  sight  of  the  enemy,  May  8,  1846. 

MARIANO  ARISTA. 

MOST  EXCELLENT  SIR,  Minister  of  War  and  Marine. 

The  battle  of  Palo  Alto  will  long  be  remembered  as  one  of  the 


36 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


most  brilliant  in  the  annals  of  the  republic.  General  Taylor 
advanced  to  it,  with  a  force  greatly  inferior  to  that  of  the  enemy, 
which  with  the  usual  mendacity  of  the  Mexican  officers  is  stated  at 
only  three  thousand  in  the  foregoing  despatch.  The  confidence  of 
the  American  commander  in  the  efficiency  of  his  troops,  was  so 
great  that  he  advanced  at  a  moment  when  twelve  hours  delay 
would  have  brought  him  a  powerful  reinforcement ;  and  he  declared 
previous  to  his  march  that  he  should  give  battle  to  the  enemy  in 
whatever  force  he  might  appear.  The  result  gloriously  justified 
this  generous  confidence  of  the  brave  commander. 


Lieutenant   Blake   reconnoi  ter  i  n  g   at    Palo   Alto. 


Genera]    Arista. 

CHAPTER  V. 

3BattU  of  Mcgaca  ^e  S 

I  HE  Battle  of  Palo  Alto  was 
the  prelude  to  that  of  Resaca 
de  la  Palma.  On  the  evening 
of  the  8thr  General  Taylor 
held  a  council  of  officers  to 
decide  upon  the  propriety  of 
advancing  toward  Fort  Brown. 
Though  it  was  very  evident 
that  the  enemy  would  oppose 
such  a  movement  with  all  the 
determination  of  a  final  strug 
gle,  yet  the  council  cheerfully  resolved  to  advance. 


88         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  the  army  recommenced  its  march 
toward  the  Rio  Grande.  At  the  same  time  the  Mexicans  were  ob 
served  moving  from  the  ground  occupied  by  them  during  the  night, 
and  silently  winding  toward  the  chapparal  on  their  front  and  flank. 
Observing  this,  General  Taylor,  having  ordered  the  supply  train  to 
be  strongly  parked,  and  sending  his  wounded  men  to  Point  Isabel, 
moved  forward  seven  miles  to  the  edge  of  the  thicket,  which  extends 
to  the  Rio  Grande.  At  the  same  time  the  command  of  Captain 
McCall,  fourth  infantry,  consisting  of  the  light  companies  of  the 
first  brigade,  under  Captain  Smith,  Captain  Walker  with  his  Texan 
Rangers,  a  detachment  of  artillery  and  infantry  under  Captain 
McCall,  and  troop  of  Indiana  dragoons  under  Lieutenant  Pleasanton, 
in  all  two  hundred  and  twenty  men,  were  ordered  forward  into  the 
chapparal,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  exact  position  of  the  enemy. 

At  the  departure  of  this  detachment  the  main  army  halted,  and 
the  General  accompanied  by  his  staff,  rode  toward  the  train  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  its  condition.  One  of  his  attendants  was 
Lieutenant  Blake,  the  same  officer  who  had  elicited  so  much  admi 
ration,  by  his  courageous  reconnoitre  on  the  preceding  day.  Being 
excessively  fatigued,  he  alighted  from  his  horse,  and  after  remark 
ing  upon  his  gratification  at  the  anticipation  of  rest,  he  threw  his 
sword,  to  which  his  pistols  were  attached,  upon  the  ground.  The 
concussion  caused  one  of  them  to  explode,  its  ball  glancing  upward, 
entering  his  thigh  and  penetrating  to  the  lungs.  He  died  in  three 
hours,  regretting  that  he  had  not  received  the  wound  in  the  battle 
of  the  previous  day. 

The  detachment  of  Captain  Smith  were  now  moving  on  the  right 
of  the  road,  while  McCall  with  his  artillery  and  infantry  advanced 
on  the  left.  The  whole  command  soon  entered  the  chapparal,  when 
Captain  Walker  with  his  company  and  a  small  party  of  mounted 
men  was  ordered  to  examine  the  road  in  front,  while  Lieutenant 
Pleasanton  with  the  dragoons,  marched  in  the  rear  of  the  columns 
of  infantry.  They  advanced  three  miles  without  encountering  any 
but  small  straggling  parties,  one  of  whom,  Captain  Walker  charged, 
killing  one  man  and  capturing  another. 

After  having  crossed  a  prairie  and  examined  the  opposite  side, 
Walker  reported  the  road  clear.  Desiring,  however,  to  obtain 


BATTLE  OF  IlESACA  DE  LA  PALMA.  89 

definite  information  as  to  the  position  of  the  enemy,  McCall  pushed 
him  forward  into  the  chapparal,  where  a  few  parties,  consisting  of  from 
three  to  six  persons  each,  were  observed  among  the  bushes,  and  one 
on  horseback,  was  fired  upon  by  the  flankers.  On  reaching  the  open 
ground  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  the  head  of  Captain  McCall's  column 
received  three  rounds  of  canister  shot  from  a  masked  battery,  which 
killed  one  private  and  wounded  two  sergeants.  This  obliged  them  to 
retire  under  cover,  but  they  soon  afterwards  rallied,  at  the  distance  of 
about  fifty  paces.  Captain  Smith's  detachment  was  now  brought  to 
the  left  of  the  road,  in  order  to  attack  by  flank  movement,  what  was 
supposed  to  be  the  rear  guard  of  the  enemy.  Being  now  satisfied  that 
the  Mexican  army  was  in  full  force  on  his  front,  McCall  despatched 
three  dragoons  to  inform  General  Taylor  of  the  fact,  and  then  moved 
his  command  to  a  stronger  position. 

In  choosing  their  ground  for  this  second  battle,  the  enemy  had 
evinced  considerable  ingenuity.  The  road  there  crosses  a  ravine 
four  or  five  feet  deep,  whose  sides  and  edges  are  densely  matted  with 
extended  lines  of  chapparal.  Along  these  lines  the  enemy  had 
stationed  themselves,  placing  their  artillery  in  such  positions  within 
the  ravine,  as  completely  to  sweep,  by  cross  firing,  the  narrowest 
portion  of  the  road. 

Upon  the  reception  of  Captain  McCall's  message,  the  American 
commander  immediately  put  his  army  in  motion,  and  came  up  with 
the  advance  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Ridgely's*  battery 

*  RANDOLPH  RIDOELY  is  the  son  of  General  Charles  S.  Ridgely,  of  Elkridge, 
Ann  Arundel  county,  Maryland.  He  belongs  to  the  third  artillery,  and  in  the 
battle  of  the  9th  did  most  valuable  service  with  the  light  artillery  battery  pre 
viously  commanded  by  Ringgold.  The  manner  in  which  he  took  the  battery 
into  action  at  the  commencement  of  that  battle,  and  the  skill  and  bravery  with 
which  he  managed  it,  raised  him  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  army. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  action  on  the  8th,  after  having  advanced  to 
within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's  lines,  and  opening  his  battery  with 
dreadful  execution,  Lieutenant  Ridgely  was  detached  from  Major  Ringgold  with 
a  section  consisting  of  two  pieces,  to  operate  with  the  fifth  infantry,  which  had 
been  sent  forward  to  oppose  a  flank  movement  of  the  enemy  making  on  the 
right  of  the  Americans.  He  had  already  lost  one  man  and  two  horses,  yet 
upon  taking  his  position  on  the  right  of  the  fifth,  who  were  formed  in  square, 
he  at  once  unlimbered  and  commenced  firing.  The  effect  of  his  fire  was  tre 
mendous,  and  he  very  shortly  saw  the  enemy's  artillery  and  cavalry,  which  was 
in  large  force,  retiring,  and  the  grand  movement  of  the  enemy  was  frustrated. 

On  the  9th,  the  Americans  opened  by  Kidgely's  battery.  He  was  highly 

12 


90          LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

and  the  advance  under  McCall  were  now  sent  forward  to  occupy  the 
road  and  chapparal  on  either  side.  The  5th  infantry  and  one  wing 
of  the  4th  was  thrown  into  the  forest  on  the  left,  and  the  3d  and  other 
wing  of  the  4th,  on  the  right  of  the  road.  These  corps  were  em 
ployed  as  skirmishers  to  cover  the  battery,  and  engage  the  Mexican 
infantry. 

Lieutenant  Ridgely  being  now  in  front  with  his  light  artillery, 
Captain  Walker  was  sent  to  assist  him  in  discovering  the  enemy. 
After  moving  very  cautiously  for  some  time,  Ridgely  discovered  the 
Mexicans  in  the  road,  about  four  hundred  yards  before  him.  He 
moved  rapidly  in  front  to  the  distance  of  about  one  hundred  yards, 
and  returned  their  fire.  The  5th  regiment  advanced  with  loud 
cheers  to  his  support,  and  the  action  became  spirited,  the  grape  shot 
of  the  enemy  passing  through  the  American  battery  in  every  direc 
tion.  Soon  as  this  subsided,  Ridgely  moved  forward,  frequently 
discharging  canister  at  the  distance  of  not  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards.  At  the  same  time  the  infantry  of  Captain  McCall 
arrived,  and,  supported  by  the  4th  infantry  under  Colonel  Mclntosh, 
and  the  3d,  4th,  and  8th  regiments  under  Morris,  Allen,  and  Mont 
gomery,  together  with  Duncan's  battery,  opened  upon  the  enemy. 
The  battle  now  became  general,  and  raged  with  such  fury,  that 
though  the  artillery  on  both  sides  was  doing  terrible  execution, 
neither  army  seemed  disposed  to  yield  an  inch  of  ground. 

Observing  the  strong  position  of  the  enemy's  batteries,  General 
Taylor  ordered  May  to  charge  them  with  his  dragoons.  This 
perilous  undertaking  was  most  fearlessly  conducted.  Riding  in 
front  of  his  eager  horsemen,  the  captain  ordered  them  to  "  follow," 
and  the  next  moment  they  were  rushing  down  upon  the  Mexican 
guns.  The  enemy  reserved  their  fire  until  the  horses  were  almost 
upon  their  cannon,  and  then  poured  forth  a  volley  which  killed 
eighteen  horses  and  eight  men,  among  whom  was  Lieutenant  Inge. 
The  remainder  bore  on,  overleaped  the  batteries,  and  seized  the 
guns  ;  but  almost  at  the  same  moment  the  enemy  rallied,  and  returned 

serviceable  to  Captain  May,  in  drawing  the  fire  of  the  Mexican  artillery  pre 
vious  to  the  charge  of  that  officer,  and  without  which,  it  is  very  probable  that 
the  American  cavalry  would  have  been  almost  annihilated.  His  fame  as  an 
active  and  successful  officer  is  now  high,  and  he  has  lately  been  appointed 
assistant  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank  of  captain. 


,*! 


BATTLE  OF  RESACA  DE  LA  PALMA.  91 

to  the  attack  with  fixed  bayonets.  They  were  again  repulsed,  with 
the  loss  of  General  la  Vega,  who  was  captured  by  May  while  in 
the  act  of  discharging  a  cannon.  The  "  Tampico  veterans"  now 
rushed  on  to  the  recovery  of  their  guns,  and  being  met  by  the  5th 
regiment,  and  a  large  body  of  infantry,  a  conflict  commenced  hand 
to  hand,  in  which  both  parties  fought  with  the  most  determined 
courage,  notwithstanding  their  heavy  losses.  But  seventeen  of  these 
brave  veterans  escaped,  the  rest  falling  sword  in  hand  at  their 
positions. 

A  part  of  the  5th  infantry  under  Colonel  Mclntosh  now  charged 
across  the  enemy's  station,  carrying  one  of  his  centre  batteries,  and 
with  the  3d  and  4th  infantry,  put  to  rout  his  left  wing.  In  this  affair 
the  colonel  was  mortally  wounded  by  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  whose 
whole  charge  he  received  personally.  His  command  devolved  upon 
Major  Staniford. 

Meanwhile  Captain  Marcy  had  turned  the  enemy's  left  flank, 
and  captured  a  piece  of  artillery.  They  were  now  pouring  a  heavy 
fire  from  a  small  breastwork  containing  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men  and  a  cannon.  ,  Captain  Buchanan  was  ordered  to  charge  this 
defence,  which  he  did  with  thirty  men,  capturing  the  piece,  and 
bearing  it  to  a  place  of  safety.  A  second  breastwork  which  had 
considerably  annoyed  his  rear  he  also  attacked  with  ten  men,  driving 
its  garrison  across  the  road. 

The  4th  regiment,  after  taking  the  battery,  pushed  forward  until 
it  emerged  from  the  thicket  into  the  main  camp  of  the  enemy,  con 
taining  General  Arista's  head-quarters,  private  property,  and  camp 
equipage,  together  with  vast  stores  of  baggage,  provisions,  ammuni 
tion,  and  some  four  hundred  mules,  all  of  which  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Americans.  The  conquerors  were  obliged  to  lament  the  loss 
of  Lieutenant  Cochrane,  who,  while  gallantly  leading  his  men  into 
the  camp,  fell  at  its  very  edge. 

The  artillery  battalion  was  now  ordered  to  pursue  the  enemy, 
and  with  the  3d  infantry,  Captain  Ker's  dragoons,  and  Duncan's 
battery,  followed  them  rapidly  to  the  river,  making  a  number  of 
prisoners.  The  fugitives  rushed  headlong  into  the  flat-boats,  from 
which  many  of  them  were  pushed  into  the  water  by  the  cavalry  and 
lancers.  Numbers  were  drowned,  and  the  shore  and  boats  presented 


LIFE  OF  GENEKxYL  TAYLOR. 


Duncan's    battery   at    Resaca 


la   Pal  ma. 


a  scene  of  confusion  and  distress,  heightened  by  the  loud  tramping 
of  flying  horsemen,  and  the  cries  of  the  drowning.  The  pursuers 
encamped  on  the  bank,  and  the  main  body  of  their  army  on  the  field 
of  battle. 

The  force  of  the  Americans  in  this  battle,  together  with  other  in 
teresting  matter  not  given  in  our  description,  will  be  gathered  from 
the  detailed  report  of  General  Taylor,  which  we  insert,  omitting 
such  portions  as  would  occasion  but  a  needless  repetition. 

HEAD-QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  OCCUPATION,      7 
Camp  near  Fort  Brown,  Texas,  May  17th,  1846.  5 

SIR: — In  submitting  a  more  minute  report  of  the  affair  of 
*  Resaca  de  la  Palrna,'  I  have  the  honor  to  state,  that  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  9th  instant,  the  enemy,  who  had  encamped  near  the 
field  of  the  day  previous,  was  discovered  moving  by  his  left  flank, 
perhaps  to  gain  a  new  position  on  the  road  to  Matamoras,  and  there 
again  resist  our  advance. 

I  ordered  the  supply  train  to  be  strongly  parked  at  its  position, 
and  left  with  it  four  pieces  of  artillery — the  two  eighteen  pounders 


BATTLE  OF  RKSACA  DE  LA  PALiMA.  93 

which  had  done  such  good  service  on  the  preceding  day,  and  two 
twelve  pounders  which  had  not  been  in  the  action.  The  wounded 
officers  and  mon  were  at  the  same  time  sent  back  to  Point  Isabel.*  *  *  * 

Captain  McCall's  command  became  at  once  engaged  with  the 
enemy,  while  the  light  artillery,  though  in  a  very  exposed  position, 
did  great  execution.  The  enemy  had  at  least  eight  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  maintained  an  incessant  fire  upon  our  advance.  *  »  *  *  *  The 
enemy  was  at  last  completely  driven  from  his  position  on  the  right 
of  the  road,  and  retreated  precipitately,  leaving  baggage  of  every  de 
scription.  The  fourth  infantry  took  possession  of  a  camp  where 
the  head-quarters  of  the  Mexican  general-in-chief  were  established. 
All  his  official  correspondence  was  captured  at  ihis  place. 

The  strength  of  our  marching  force  on  this  day  was  one  hundred 
and  seventy-three  officers,  and  2093  men — aggregate  2222.  The 
actual  number  engaged  with  the  enemy  did  not  exceed  1700.  Our 
loss  was  three  officers  killed,  thirty-six  men  killed,  and  seventy-one 
wounded.  Among  the  officers  killed  I  have  to  report  the  loss  of 
Lieutenant  Inge,  second  dragoons,  who  fell  at  the  head  of  his  platoon 
while  gallantly  charging  the  enemy's  battery  ;  of  Lieutenant  Cochrane 
of  the  fourth,  and  Lieutenant  Chadbourne  of  the  eighth  infantry, 
who  likewise  met  their  death  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  The 
officers  wounded  were  Lieutenant-Colonel  Payne,  inspector-general; 
Lieutenant  Dobbins,  third  infantry,  serving  with  the  light  infantry 
advance,  slightly ;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mclntosh,  fifth  infantry, 
severely,  twice;  Captain  Hooe,  fifth  infantry,  severely,  (right  arm 
since  amputated;)  Lieutenant  Fowler,  fifth  infantry,  slightly;  Cap 
tain  Montgomery,  eighth  infantry,  slightly  ;  Lieutenants  Gates  and 
Jordan,  eighth  infantry,  severely,  (each  twice;)  Lieutenants  Selden, 
Maclay,  Burbank,  and  Morris,  eighth  infantry,  slightly. 

I  have  no  accurate  data  from  which  to  estimate  the  enemy's 
force  on  this  day.  He  is  known  to  have  been  reinforced  after  the 
action  of  the  8th,  both  by  cavalry  and  infantry,  and  no  doubt  to  an 
extent  equal  to  his  loss  on  that  day.  It  is  probable  that  six  thousand 
men  were  opposed  to  us,  and  in  a  position  chosen  by  themselves, 
and  strongly  defended  with  artillery.  The  enemy's  loss  was  very 
great.  Nearly  two  hundred  of  his  dead  were  buried  by  us  on  the 
days  succeeding  the  battle.  His  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  and 


94  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

missing  in  the  two  affairs  of  the  8th  and  9th  is,  I  think,  moderately 
estimated  at  one  thousand  men. 

Our  victory  has  been  decisive.  A  small  force  has  overcome 
immense  odds  of  the  best  troops  that  Mexico  can  furnish — veteran 
regiments,  perfectly  equipped  and  appointed.  Eight  pieces  of  artillery, 
several  colors  and  standards,  a  great  number  of  prisoners,  including 
fourteen  officers,  and  a  large  amount  of  baggage  and  public  property 
have  fallen  into  our  hands.  *******  I  take  this  occasion  to 
mention  generally  the  devotion  to  duty  of  the  medical  staff  of  the 
army,  who  have  been  untiring  in  their  exertions  both  in  the  field 
and  in  the  hospitals,  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the  wounded  of 
both  armies.  ****** 

One  regimental  color  (battalion  of  Tampico)  and  many  standards 
and  guidons  of  cavalry  were  taken  at  the  affair  of  the  9th  :  I  would 
be  pleased  to  receive  your  instructions  as  to  the  disposition  to  be 
made  of  these  trophies ;  whether  they  shall  be  sent  to  Washington, 
&c.*  I  am  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Z.  TAYLOR, 

Brevet  Brigadier  General,  U.  S.  A.  Commanding. 
The  ADJUTANT  GENERAL  of  the  Army, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Captain  May's  charge,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  movements  of 
that  eventful  day,  is  thus  described  by  Sergeant  Milton,  who  shared 
its  dangers : 

"  Our  troops  stood  anxiously  waiting  for  the  signal  to  be  given, 
and  never  had  1  looked  upon  men,  upon  whose  countenances  was 
more  clearly  expressed  a  fixed  determination  to  win.  The  lips  of  some 
were  pale  with  excitement,  and  their  eyes  wore  that  fixed  expres 
sion  which  betokens  mischief;  others  with  shut  teeth  would  quietly 
laugh  and  catch  a  tighter  grip  of  the  rein,  or  seat  themselves  with 
care  and  firmness  in  the  saddle,  while  quiet  words  of  confidence 
and  encouragement  were  passed  from  each  to  his  neighbor.  All  at 
once  Captain  May  rode  to  the  front  of  his  troop — every  rein  and 
sabre  was  tightly  grasped.  Raising  himself  and  pointing  at  the 
battery,  he  shouted,  '  Men,  follow  /'  There  was  now  a  clattering 
of  hoofs  and  a  rattling  of  sabre  sheaths — the  fire  of  the  enemy's 

*  These  trophies  are  now  in  the  office  of  the  War  Department  at  Wash 
ington.  The  regimental  color  is  of  embroidered  silk. 


BATTLE  OF  RESACA  DE  LA  PALMA.      95 

guns  was  partly  drawn  by  Lieutenant  Ridgely,  and  the  next  mo 
ment  we  were  sweeping  like  the  wind  up  the  ravine.  I  was  in  a 
squad  of  about  nine  men,  who  were  separated  by  a  shower  of 
grape  from  the  battery,  and  we  were  in  advance,  May  leading.  He 
turned  his  horse  opposite  to  the  breast  work  in  front  of  the  guns, 
and  with  another  shout  4  to  follow,'  leaped  over  them." 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  exultation  of  the  defenders  of  Fort 
Brown,  on  learning  the  triumph  of  General  Taylor.  As  the  ad 
vance  columns  of  the  American  army  emerged  from  the  surrounding 
thickets  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives,  the  air  rang  with  welcoming 
shouts  that  actually  drowned  the  noise  of  artillery ;  and  for  the 
first  night  since  the  1st  of  May,  they  felt  that  they  were  perfectly 
secure. 

On  the  following  day  an  exchange  of  prisoners  took  place,  when 
the  army  recovered,  among  others,  Captain  Thornton,  and  dismissed 
the  enemy  on  parole.  General  la  Vega  voluntarily  remained,  de 
claring  that  his  army  would  not  permit  him  to  remain  neutral  in 
Mexico. 

On  the  morning  of  the  1 1  th,  General  Taylor  left  Fort  Brown 
for  Point  Isabel ;  and  after  an  interview  with  Commodore  Con 
ner,*  commander  of  the  American  Gulf  squadron,  in  which  they 

*  This  interview  is  thus  humorously  described  by  the  New  Orleans  Tropic, 
of  July  25th,  1846. — "The  singular  simplicity  that  marks  Gen.  Taylor's  per 
sonal  appearance  and  habits,  have  become  a  subject  of  universal  fame.  It  is 
curious  that  a  soldier,  so  eminent  in  all  the  qualities  of  discipline,  should  be  so 
citizen-looking  in  his  own  appearance.  A  curious  scene  occurred  at  Point 
Isabel,  at  the  time  Com.  Conner  appeared  off  that  place  with  his  fleet,  to  give 
succor  to  the  "  Army  of  Occupation."  Com.  Conner  is  a  naval  officer  that  is 
not  only  strict  in  his  dress,  but  has  a  Philadelphia  nicety  about  it.  He  appears 
in  full  and  splendid  uniform  on  all  public  occasions,  being  the  exact  counter 
part  in  this  particular  of  Gen.  Taylor. 

At  the  proper  time,  Com.  Conner  sent  word  to  Gen.  Taylor,  that  he  would 
come  ashore  to  pay  him  a  visit  of  ceremony.  This  put  old  "  Rough  and 
Ready"  into  a  tremendous  excitement.  If  Com.  Conner  had  quietly  come  up 
to  his  tent,  and  given  him  a  sailor's  grip,  and  sat  down  on  a  camp  chest,  and 
talked  over  matters  in  an  old-fashioned  way,  Gen.  Taylor  would  have  been 
prepared ;  but  to  have  the  most  carefully  dressed  officer  in  our  Navy,  com 
manding  the  finest  fleet,  to  come  in  full  uniform,  surrounded  by  all  the  glitter 
ing  pomp  of  splendid  equipments — to  pay  a  visit  of  ceremony,  was  more  than 
Gen.  Taylor  had,  without  some  effort,  nerve  to  go  through  with ;  but,  ever 
equal  to  emergencies,  he  determined  to  compliment  Com.  Conner,  and  through 
him  the  Navy,  by  appearing  in  full  uniform,  a  thing  his  officers  associated 
with  him  for  years,  had  never  witnessed. 


96         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

concerted  plans  of  co-operation,  he  set  out  on  the  13th,  on  his  return. 
On  his  way  he  received  intelligence  that  a  large  body  of  the  enemy 
had  reached  Matamoras,  with  the  intention  of  collecting  in  force  at 
Barita,  a  neighboring  village.  In  consequence  of  this  news  he 
changed  his  plan  and  returned  to  Point  Isabel ;  at  this  place  he  was 
greeted  with  the  sight  of  a  considerable  reinforcement  of  Louisiana 
and  Alabama  troops,  both  regular  and  volunteer,  who  had  just 
arrived  directly  from  New  Orleans.  This  accession  of  strength 
enabled  him  to  draw  from  that  station  a  much  larger  force  than  he 
had  at  first  intended  ;  so  that  on  the  14th,  when  he  again  set  out  for 
Fort  Brown,  he  was  accompanied  by  six  hundred  men,  a  train  of 
artillery,  nearly  three  hundred  wagons,  and  a  large  amount  of 
equipage  and  military  stores.  He  reached  his  camp  without  any 
molestation  from  the  enemy. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day  Colonel  Wilson,  with  four 
companies  of  regulars  and  three  of  volunteers,  crossed  the  river  and 
took  undisputed  possession  of  the  reported  depot  at  Barita.  The 
property  and  rights  of  the  citizens  were  respected,  and  the  station 
soon  became  one  of  importance  to  the  army. 

The  battle  of  Resaca  de  la  Palma  closed  the  purely  defensive 
operations  of  General  Taylor ;  and  in  his  subsequent  proceedings, 
he  was  operating  entirely  in  the  enemy's  country,  and  on  the  offen 
sive.  After  the  victory  the  relative  disposition  of  both  armies  was 

In  the  meanwhile  Com.  Conner  was  cogitating  over  the  most  proper  way  to 
compliment  Gen.  Taylor.  Having  heard  of  his  peculiar  disregard  of  military 
dress,  he  concluded  he  would  make  the  visit  in  a  manner  comporting  to  Gen. 
Taylor's  habits,  and  consequently  equipped  himself  in  plain  wliite  drilling,  and 
unattended,  came  ashore. 

The  moment  old  "  Rough  and  Ready"  heard  that  Com.,Conner  had  landed, 
he  abandoned  some  heavy  work  he  was  personally  attending  to  about  the 
camp,  and  precipitately  rushed  into  his  tent,  delved  at  the  bottom  of  an  old 
chest,  and  pulled  out  a  uniform  coat,  that  had  peacefully  slumbered  for  years 
in  undisturbed  quietude,  slipped  himself  into  it,  in  his  haste  fastening  it  so  that 
one  side  of  the  standing  collar  was  three  button-holes  above  the  other,  and  sat 
himself  down  as  uncomfortable  as  can  well  be  imagined.  With  quiet  step  and 
unattended,  Com.  Conner  presented  himself  at  Gen.  Taylor's  tent ;  the  two 
soldiers  shook  hands,  both  in  exceeding  astonishment  at  each  other's  personal 
appearance. 

The  wags  in  the  army  say,  that  the  above  contains  the  only  authentic 
account  where  Gen.  Taylor  was  ever  headed,  and  since  that  time,  he  has 
taken  to  linen  roundabouts  of  the  largest  dimensions,  with  more  pertinacity 
than  ever." 


BATTLE  OF  RESACA  DE  LA  PALMA. 


97 


changed,  and  the  Mexicans  no  longer  thought  of  resisting  the 
victorious  General  in  an  open  field.  In  the  subsequent  chapters, 
therefore,  we  must  no  longer  look  for  the  Americans,  besieged  in  a 
breastwork,  and  restricted  from  every  thing,  except  an  active  defence ; 
but  we  shall  follow  them  in  rapid  marches  across  the  territory,  over 
throwing  all  opposition,  and  capturing  the  towns  and  fortifications 
which  obstructed  their  progress. 

The  battles  of  the  8th  and  9th  of  May  were  of  immense  im 
portance,  not  only  on  account  of  their  accomplishing  the  relief  of 
Fort  Brown,  and  the  expulsion  of  the  -enemy  from  the  territory 
of  the  United  States ;  but  from  their  moral  effect  on  both  nations. 
To  the  enemy  these  battles  were  a  sad  warning  of  the  future,  a 
foretaste  of  defeat.  To  our  own  countrymen  they  gave  the  presage 
of  success,  the  undoubting  confidence  which  was  destined  to  be 
justified  by  their  subsequent  career  of  victory  and  conquest. 


g 

J 

<< 

fc  * 

CO 


< 
^ 

w 


^2   £     .    w 

^Is- 

C^  ^  ^  ^ 

l^ll 

"^    •£   &   J3 

HH     r5  ^ 

fi^fi  " 

•«  5  -s 
z<  * 

0^0 

O         4- 

E-*  -^ 
^    o 


c 

^ 
<1 

PL( 


'l -  .J^\f~~"  ~~r~* 


2. 


City   of  Matamoras. 

CHAPTER  VI. 
of 


HE  want  of  the  necessary  means  of 
transportation  prevented  General  Tay 
lor  from  pursuing  his  victory  of  the 
9th,  by  an  attack  upon  Matamoras. 
Upon  arriving  however  from  Point 
Isabel,  he  made  every  exertion  in  order 
to  enable  his  army  to  cross  the  river  ; 
and  he  was  so  far  successful  as  in  a 
few  days  to  be  prepared  for  the  pro 
posed  crossing. 

Matamoras  is  built  in  the  old  Span 
ish  style  of  architecture,  and  though 
its  ancient  grandeur  has  much  decayed,  it  is  still  one  of  the  largest 

99 


100  LIFE   OF   GENERAL   TAYLOR. 

cities  of  northern  Mexico.  Besides  cathedrals  and  other  public 
buildings,  it  is  ornamented  with  an  extensive  "  Plaza"  or  public 
square,  regularly  laid  out  and  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  city.  A 
correspondent  of  the  New  Orleans  Bee,  and  member  of  the  army, 
thus  describes  the  general  appearance  of  its  buildings. 

"  Malamoras  is  a  much  handsomer  place  than  I  expected  to  find 
it.  It  covers  two  miles  square,  though  by  no  means  as  compact  as 
an  American  city — every  house  except  those  around  the  public 
square,  having  a  large  garden  attached.  The  houses  in  the  business 
part  of  the  town  are  built  after  the  American  fashion,  though  seldom 
exceeding  two  stories  in  height.  All  the  windows  to  these  buildings 
are  grated  from  top  to  bottom  with  iron  bars,  and  half  of  the  door 
opens  only  for  admittance,  which  gives  them  the  appearance  of  prisons 
more  than  business  houses.  The  public  square  is  in  the  centre  of 
the  town,  and  must  have  been  laid  off  by  an  American  or  European, 
for  the  Mexicans  never  could  have  laid  it  out  with  such  beauty  and 
precision.  On  the  four  sides  of  the  square,  the  houses  are  built  close 
together,  as  in  block,  and  are  all  of  the  same  size  and  height,  with 
the  exception  of  the  cathedral,  which,  though  unfinished,  still 
towers  above  the  others.  In  these  houses  are  sold  dry  goods,  gro 
ceries  and  every  kind  of  wares,  with  now  and  then  an  exchange  or 
coffee  house.  They  are  principally  occupied  by  Europeans,  and 
you  can  hear  French,  English,  Spanish  and  German  spoken  at  the 
same  time.  After  leaving  the  public  square,  on  either  side,  the 
houses  decrease  in  size  and  beauty  for  two  or  three  squares,  when 
the  small  reed  and  thatched  huts  commence,  and  continue  to  the 
extreme  limits  of  the  place." 

After  the  battle  of  the  9th,  the  city  swarmed  with  robbers  and 
desperadoes  of  every  kind.  All  military  and  civil  law  being  at  an 
end,  in  consequence  of  the  defeat  of  Arista,  they  united  in  bands, 
broke  open  houses,  robbed  and  murdered  the  inhabitants,  and  filled 
every  square  with  distress  and  terror.  Besides  this,  hundreds  of  the 
wounded  and  dying  were  stowed  into  the  houses,  and  many  left  there 
to  perish.  The  situation  of  these  poor  creatures  is  thus  vividly 
described  by  the  above  writer. 

"  In  walking  through  the  streets,  my  attention  was  attracted  to  a 
house,  in  the  door  of  which  stood  or  leaned  two  half  naked  Mexicans, 


CAPTURE   OF   MATAMORAS.  101 

so  wo-begone  as  to  cause  me  to  halt.  On  my  nearing  the  door  a 
most  disagreeable  stench  almost  induced  me  to  turn,  but  I  mustered 
courage  to  enter  the  door.  On  the  floor,  lying  upon  mats  without 
covering,  were  near  fifty  Mexicans,  wounded  in  the  late  engagements, 
attended  by  some  ten  or  twelve  women.  The  smell  of  the  place 
was  insufferable,  and  I  had  to  leave  it.  The  next  door  was  the  same, 
and  so  on  for  about  twenty  houses.  A  friend  of  mine  called  my  at 
tention  to  a  room  in  which  there  were  at  least  forty  of  these  misera 
ble  objects  ;  and  this  room  was  scarcely  twelve  feet  square.  There 
was  not  positively  room  for  the  nurses  to  attend  them.  Some  had 
lost  a  leg,  others  an  arm,  and  some  both  legs  and  arms.  I  noticed 
one  who  will  certainly  get  well,  whose  legs  were  shot  off  within  two 
or  three  inches  above  the  knee,  and  he  seemed  to  me  to  have  a 
greater  flow  of  spirits  than  some  who  had  only  flesh  wounds.  I 
said  to  him,  that  had  his  wounds  been  made  by  a  Mexican  shot,  he 
would  have  been  dead ;  to  which  he  replied,  the  American  shot  was 
very  good — no  poisonous  copper  in  them.  One  had  died  just  before 
I  entered  the  room,  and  they  were  making  preparations  to  carry  him 
out.  He  had  been  shot  in  the  mouth  by  a  rifle  ball,  which  passed 
under  the  left  ear,  and  had  lived  from  the  9th,  up  to  this  time.  There 
are  between  three  hundred  and  fifty  and  four  hundred  of  these  horrid 
objects  in  this  place,  and  a  sight  of  them  would  induce  many  a  stout 
heart  to  lament  the  horrors  of  war.  These  men  give  the  number  of 
killed  and  wounded  on  the  9th  much  greater  than  the  Americans  ever 
claimed — some  say  twelve  hundred,  and  some  fifteen  hundred." 

Having  completed  his  preparations  for  an  attack,  General  Taylor, 
on  the  16th,  ordered  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wilson  to  make  a  digres 
sion  on  the  side  of  Barita,  while  the  main  body  crossed  above  the 
town.  Early  on  the  17th,  orders  to  march  had  been  issued,  and 
Colonel  Twiggs  was  about  to  cross,  when  the  American  commander 
was  waited  upon  by  General  Requena,  who  had  been  empowered 
by  Arista  to  treat  for  an  armistice,  which  should  last  until  both 
governments  should  settle  the  subject  of  dispute.  The  General  re 
plied  that  an  armistice  was  out  of  the  question ;  that  a  month  since 
he  had  proposed  one  to  Ampudia,  which  was  declined ;  that  large 
reinforcements  were  now  reaching  him,  and  although  he  had  neither 
invited  nor  provoked  hostilities,  yet  having  proceeded  thus  far,  he 


102 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


would  not  now  suspend  them.  He  added  that  the  capture  of  the 
city  was  certain,  but  that  Arista  might  withdraw  his  forces,  on  con 
dition  of  leaving  the  property  of  the  city  uninjured. 


Market    Place    of   Matamoras. 

Operations  were  now  suspended  until  three  o'clock,  the  time 
appointed  for  Arista's  answer;  but  that  answer  not  arriving,  General 
Taylor  immediately  commenced  the  crossing,  intending  to  attack  the 
town  on  the  following  morning.  The  Americans  expected  to  have 
their  landing  disputed;  but  in  this  they  were  disappointed,  and  it 
was  soon  ascertained  that  Arista  had  abandoned  the  city  with  all  his 
troops; — the  armistice  petition  being  but  a  device  to  gain  time. 
When  the  crossing  had  been  effected,  and  the  troops  concentrated  on 
the  Mexican  shore,  a  parley  was  sounded,  and  a  staff  officer  des 
patched  to  the  Prefect  of  Matamoras,  demanding  a  surrender.  At 
the  same  time  active  preparations  were  in  progress  for  an  assault. 
These  were  arrested  by  a  message  from  the  authorities  that  the  city 


CAPTURE  OF  MATAMORAS.  103 

was  at  General  Taylor's  disposal.  He  accordingly  entered,  and 
after  erecting  the  flag  of  his  country  upon  the  highest  station,  took 
possession  of  the  city. 

The  command  of  Matamoras  was  entrusted  to  Colonel  Twiggs,* 
who  was  dignified  with  the  title  of  governor.  His  Mexican  prede 
cessor,  having  by  his  cruelty  and  duplicity,  disgusted  both  Americans 
and  citizens,  was  dismissed  from  office,  and  soon  after  left  the  city. 
The  army  found  immense  quantities  of  military  and  other  stores, 
which  had  been  secreted  by  Arista  previous  to  his  hasty  flight,  or 
thrown  into  wells  and  bushes  in  the  hurry  of  retreat.  Strict  orders 
were  issued  by  the  new  governor  concerning  the  rights  and  property 
of  the  citizens,  and  all  business  was  allowed  to  go  on  as  usual,  ex 
cept  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors.  At  first  the  inhabitants  evidently 
regarded  the  Americans  as  a  band  of  robbers ;  but  after  the  above 
regulations,  and  the  restgration  of  order,  this  feeling  subsided,  and 
they  soon  became  familiar,  and  even  intimate  with  the  conquerors. 

The  principal  depot  of  the  enemy  had  thus  become  the  peaceful 
possession  of  the  valorous  few  who  had  conquered  at  Palo  Alto  and 

*  DAVID  E.  TWIGGS  is  a  native  of  Georgia,  and  entered  the  army  as  captain 
of  the  eighth  regiment  of  infantry  on  the  12th  of  March,  1812.  He  served  with 
distinction  in  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  continued  in  the  army  after  its 
close.  On  the  14th  of  May,  1825,  he  was  appointed  major,  and  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1836,  was  promoted  to  colonel  of  the  second  regiment  of  dragoons.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  Mexican  war  his  regiment  formed  a  part  of  the  army 
of  occupation ;  and  in  every  affair  in  which  he  has  taken  part,  he  has  figured  as 
a  most  talented  and  intrepid  officer. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  1846,  be  was  detached  by  General  Taylor,  to  save 
Point  Isabel,  which  had  been  fired  by  the  Mexicans.  This  movement  he  ef 
fected  with  promptness  and  energy,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  several  of  the 
burning  buildings.  On  the  8th  of  May  he  led  the  right  wing  of  the  army,  and 
on  the  9th,  after  distinguishing  himself  in  the  battle,  was  entrusted  with  the 
arrangements  for  the  exchange  of  prisoners.  For  his  conduct  in  these  two 
battles,  government  promoted  him  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  He  led  the 
van  at  Matamoras,  and  as  we  have  seen,  was  appointed  its  governor.  At  the 
storming  of  Monterey,  he  was  ordered  to  make  a  diversion  in  favor  of  General 
Worth,  and  being  attacked  by  the  enemy,  he  had  an  opportunity  to  display  his 
generalship  in  a  very  conspicuous  manner.  After  the  capitulation,  he  remained 
with  General  Taylor  until  he  was  detached  by  order  of  Major-General  Scott, 
and  proceeded  to  join  that  officer. 

The  change  of  position  afforded  General  Twiggs  another  opportunity  to  dis 
play  his  talents  as  an  officer.  He  enacted  a  conspicuous  part  at  Vera  Cruz,  and 
after  its  evacuation  was  appointed  governor,  in  the  exercise  of  whose  duties 
he  soon  restored  the  city  to  tranquillity.  He  fought  at  Sierra  Gordo,  and  sub 
sequently  captured  the  city  of  Jalapa,  where  he  still  remains. 


104         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Resaca  de  la  Palma.  It  was  the  sequel  and  reward  of  the  victories 
which  had  been  acquired  with  so  much  fatigue  and  suffering ;  and 
the  Americans  were  henceforth  to  be  roofed  by  habitable  houses,  and 
to  enjoy  conveniences  and  privileges  which  long  deprivation  had 
rendered  luxuries. 

Immediately  after  the  capture  of  Matamoras  and  the  restoration 
of  public  quiet,  General  Taylor  issued  the  following  proclamation  to 
the  inhabitants  of  Mexico. 

A    PROCLAMATION 

By  the  General  commanding  the  Army  of  the  United  States  of  America,  to 
the  People  of  Mexico. 

After  many  years  of  patient  endurance,  the  United  States  are  at 
length  constrained  to  acknowledge  that  a  war  now  exists  between 
our  government  and  the  government  of  Mexico.  For  many  years 
our  citizens  have  been  subjected  to  repeated  insults  and  injuries,  our 
vessels  and  cargoes  have  been  seized  and  confiscated,  our  merchants 
have  been  plundered,  maimed,  imprisoned  without  cause  and  without 
reparation.  At  length  your  government  acknowledged  the  justice 
of  our  claims,  and  agreed  by  treaty,  to  make  satisfaction  by  payment 
of  several  millions  of  dollars  ;  but  this  treaty  has  been  violated  by 
your  rulers,  and  the  stipulated  payment  has  been  withheld.  Our  late 
effort  to  terminate  all  the  difficulties  by  peaceful  negotiation  has  been 
rejected  by  the  dictator  Paredes,  and  our  minister  of  peace,  whom 
your  rulers  had  agreed  to  receive,  has  been  refused  a  hearing.  He 
has  been  treated  with  indignity  and  insult,  and  Paredes  has  announced 
that  war  exists  between  us.  This  war,  thus  first  proclaimed  by  him, 
has  been  acknowledged  as  an  existing  fact  by  our  President  and 
Congress  with  perfect  unanimity,  and  will  be  prosecuted  with  vigor 
and  energy  against  your  army  and- rulers ;  but  those  of  the  Mexican 
people  who  remain  neutral  will  not  be  molested. 

Your  government  is  in  the  hands  of  tyrants  and  usurpers.  They 
have  abolished  your  state  governments,  they  have  overthrown  your 
federal  constitution,  they  have  deprived  you  of  the  right  of  suffrage, 
destroyed  the  liberty  of  the  press,  despoiled  you  of  your  arms,  and 
reduced  you  to  a  state  of  absolute  dependence  upon  the  power  of  a 
military  dictator.  Your  armies  and  rulers  extort  from  the  people  by 


CAPTURE  OF  MATAMORAS. 


grievous  taxation,  by  forced  loans  and  military  seizures,  the  very 
money  which  sustains  the  usurpers  in  their  power.  Being  dis 
armed,  you  were  left  defenceless,  and  as  an  easy  prey  to  the  savage 
Camanches,  who  not  only  destroy  your  lives  and  property,  but  drive 
into  captivity  more  horrible  than  death  itself  your  wives  and  chil 
dren.  It  is  your  military  rulers  who  have  reduced  you  to  this  de 
plorable  condition.  It  is  these  tyrants  and  their  corrupt  and  cruel 
satellites,  gorged  with  the  people's  treasure,  by  whom  you  are  thus 
oppressed  and  impoverished,  some  of  whom  have  boldly  advocated 
a  monarchical  government,  and  would  place  a  European  prince  upon 
the  throne  of  Mexico.  We  come  to  obtain  reparation  for  repeated 
wrongs  and  injuries ;  we  come  to  obtain  indemnity  for  the  past,  and 
security  for  the  future  ;  we  come  to  overthrow  the  tyrants  who  have 
destroyed  your  liberties  ;  but  we  come  to  make  no  war  upon  the 
people  of  Mexico,  nor  upon  any  form  of  free  government  they  may 
choose  to  select  for  themselves. 

It  is  our  wish  to  see  you  liberated  from  despots,  to  drive  back 
the  savage  Camanches,  to  prevent  the  renewal  of  their  assaults,  and 
to  compel  them  to  restore  to  you  from  captivity  your  long  lost  wives 
and  children.  Your  religion,  your  altars,  your  churches,  the  pro 
perty  of  your  churches  and  citizens,  the  emblems  of  your  faith  and 
its  ministers,  shall  be  protected,  and  remain  inviolable — hundreds  of 
our  army,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  our  citizens  are  members 
of  the  Catholic  church.  In  every  state,  and  in  nearly  every  city 
and  village  of  our  Union,  Catholic  churches  exist,  and  the  priests 
perform  their  holy  functions  in  peace  and  security  under  the  sacred 
guarantee  of  our  constitution.  We  come  among  the  people  of  Mexico 
as  friends  and  republican  brethren,  and  all  who  receive  us  as  such, 
shall  be  protected,  whilst  all  who  are  seduced  into  the  army  of  your 
dictator  shall  be  treated  as  enemies.  We  shall  want  from  you 
nothing  but  food  for  our  army,  and  for  this  you  shall  always  be  paid 
in  cash  the  full  value.  It  is  the  settled  policy  of  your  tyrants  to 
deceive  you  in  regard  to  the  character  and  policy  of  our  government 
and  people.  These  tyrants  fear  the  example  of  our  free  institutions, 
and  constantly  endeavor  to  misrepresent  our  purposes,  and  inspire 
you  with  hatred  for  your  republican  brethren  of  the  American  Union. 
Give  us  but  the  opportunity  to  undeceive  you,  and  you  will  soon 

14 


106  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

learn  that  all  the  representations  of  Paredes  were  false,  and  were  only 
made  to  induce  you  to  consent  to  the  establishment  of  a  despotic 
government.  In  your  struggle  for  liberty  with  the  Spanish  monarchy, 
thousands  of  our  countrymen  risked  their  lives  and  shed  their  blood 
in  your  defence.  Our  own  commodore,  the  gallant  Porter,  main 
tained  in  triumph  your  flag  upon  the  ocean,  and  our  government 
was  the  first  to  acknowledge  your  independence.  With  pride  and 
pleasure  we  enrolled  your  name  on  the  list  of  independent  republics, 
and  sincerely  desired  that  you  might  in  peace  and  prosperity  enjoy 
all  the  blessings  of  free  government.  Success  on  the  part  of  your 
tyrants  against  the  army  of  the  Union  is  impossible  ;  but  if  they 
could  succeed,  it  would  only  be  to  enable  them  to  fill  your  towns 
with  their  soldiers,  eating  out  your  subsistence,  and  harassing  you 
with  still  more  grievous  taxation.  Already  they  have  abolished  the 
liberty  of  the  press  as  the  first  step  towards  the  introduction  of  that 
monarchy  which  it  is  their  real  purpose  to  proclaim  and  establish. 

Mexicans,  we  must  treat  as  enemies,  and  overthrow  the  tyrants, 
who,  whilst  they  have  wronged  and  insulted  us,  have  deprived  you 
of  your  liberty  ;  but  the  Mexican  people  who  remain  neutral  during 
the  contest,  shall  be  protected  against  their  military  despots  by  the 
republican  army  of  the  Union. 

Z.  TAYLOR, 
Brevet  Major-Gen eral  U.  S.  A.  Commanding. 


Paredes. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

of 


compassed  with  difficulties. 


HE  Americans  were  now  effectively 
established  on  the  Mexican  so!!. 
General  Taylor  had  crossed  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  planted  his  victorious 
standard  upon  the  fortresses  of  Matn- 
moras.  The  threatened  dangers  of 
his  camp  were  removed,  and  the  bat 
tles  of  the  8th  and  9th  of  May  had 
freed  him  from  the  immediate  presence 
of  the  enemy.  But  he  was  still  en- 
To  remain  in  the  city  would  give  the 

107 


108        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

enemy  opportunity  to  recover  from  the  panic  of  defeat,  and  concen 
trate  a  large  force  in  the  interior,  and  he  had  neither  provisions  nor 
means  of  transportation  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  undertake  a  march 
through  a  hostile  country.  In  addition  to  this,  the  express  com 
mands  of  government  were  that  he  should  act  only  on  the  defensive 
until  the  amount  of  his  men  and  provisions  would  justify  him  in 
proceeding  otherwise.  Numbers  of  volunteers  were  continually 
arriving  at  Point  Isabel,  but  the  scarcity  of  supplies  was  so  great, 
that  they  served  rather  to  burden  the  General  and  disconcert  his 
plans  than  to  afford  him  any  assistance.  These  difficulties  might 
have  appalled  a  less  enterprising  man  than  Taylor;  but,  so  far 
from  wishing  to  remain  inactive  when  victory  and  other  circum 
stances  would  have  justified  it,  he  dared  to  plan  an  attack  upon 
Monterey. 

Meanwhile,  important  movements  were  going  on  at  the  city  of 
Mexico.  The  defeat  of  Arista  had  rendered  him  unpopular,  and  a 
spirit  of  anarchy  pervaded  all  classes.  Arista,  however,  organized 
a  body  of  the  revolutionists,  and  defied  the  power  of  his  antago 
nists  ;  but  an  election  of  June  1 6th  ended  his  authority  by  appointing 
General  Paredes  as  President  and  commander-in-chief,  and  General 
Bravo,  governor  of  Vera  Cruz,  as  Vice-President. 

In  June,  the  American  army  received  large  accessions  of  volunteers 
from  different  states,  but  so  great  were  the  difficulties  which  we 
have  mentioned,  that  it  was  not  able  to  leave  Matamoras  before  the 
5th  of  August.  In  the  mean  time  the  Texan  Rangers,  under  Captain 
McCulloch,  had  captured  the  ports  of  Mier,  Reynosa,  and  Camargo, 
to  the  latter  of  which  General  Taylor  directed  his  march.  At  the 
same  time  General  Worth  was  sent  to  San  Juan,  and  Captain  Wall 
to  Reynosa. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  General  Taylor  received  intelligence 
that  the  Mexican  government  had  entrusted  the  defence  of  Monterey 
to  General  Arevalo,  assisted  by  Ampudia,  who  had  recently  entered 
it  with  a  reinforcement  of  three  thousand  men.  He  immediately 
marched  toward  the  city,  leaving  the  superintendence  of  minor  affairs 
in  the  care  of  Major-General  Patterson.  In  his  march  he  passed 
through  Seralvo,  the  head-quarters  of  General  Worth,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  19th  reached  the  Walnut  Springs,  three  miles  from 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  109 

Monterey,  and  commanding  a  fine  view  of  its  buildings  and  fortifi 
cations. 

Monterey  is  a  strong  city,  built  like  Matamoras  in  the  old  Spanish 
style,  and  surrounded  by  massive  stone  walls,  which  are  defended 
by  ditches,  bastions,  and  towers.  The  houses  are  of  stone,  and 
mostly  of  one  story  in  height ;  but  the  cathedrals  and  public  build 
ings,  like  most  of  those  in  Mexico,  are  large  and  imposing.  The 
Mexicans  had  taken  every  precaution  for  its  successful  defence,  and 
not  only  were  the  walls  and  parapets  lined  with  cannon,  but  even 
the  private  houses  were  fortified,  and  the  streets  barricaded  and 
planted  with  artillery  in  such  a  manner  as  to  sweep  their  whole 
extents.  On  the  hill  Independence,  at  some  distance  from  the  city, 
and  near  the  Saltillo  road,  were  a  few  fortifications,  the  principal  of 
which  was  the  Bishop's  Palace,  an  immense  edifice,  including  several 
strong  buildings  of  a  pyramidal  form,  all  rigidly  fortified,  and  lined 
with  troops  and  artillery.* 

The  first  offer  of  resistance  displayed  by  the  enemy  was  on  the 

*  Prior  to  the  arrival  of  Geiieral  Taylor  before  the  city,  the  following  pro 
clamation  had  been  circulated  in  the  Mexican  camp.  It  is  useful  as  showing 
the  mounted  force  then  hovering  round  the  American  army,  and  the  estimation 
in  which  General  Ampudia  regarded  his  opponent's  force. 

The  General-in-Chief  of  the  Army  of  the  North,  to  his  companions  in  arms. 

SOLDIERS — The  enemy,  numbering  only  2500  regular  troops,  the  remainder 
being  only  a  band  of  adventurers  without  valor  or  discipline,  are,  according  to 
reliable  information,  about  advancing  upon  Seralvo  to  commit  the  barbarity  of 
attacking  this  most  important  place, — we  count  nearly  three  thousand  regulars 
and  auxiliary  cavalry,  and  these  will  defeat  them  again  and  again  before  they 
can  reach  this  city.  Soldiers,  we  are  constructing  fortifications  to  make  the 
base  of  our  operations  secure,  and  hence  we  will  sally  forth  at  a  convenient 
time,  and  drive  back  this  enemy  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

Soldiers — Three  great  virtues  make  the  soldier  worthy  of  his  profession ; — 
discipline,  constancy  under  fatigue,  and  valor.  He  who  at  this  moment  would 
desert  his  colors,  is  a  coward  and  a  traitor  to  his  country.  Our  own  nation, 
and  even  foreign  countries,  are  the  witnesses  of  your  conduct.  The  question 
now  is,  whether  our  independence  shall  bo  preserved,  or  for  ever  lost,  and  its 
solution  is  in  your  hands. 

I  have  assured  the  supreme  government  of  the  triumph  of  our  arms,  confid 
ing  in  your  loyalty  and  enthusiasm,  and  wo  will  prove  to  the  whole  world  that 
we  are  worthy  sons  of  the  immortal  Hidalgo,  Morelo,  Allende,  Iturbide,  and  so 
many  other  heroes  who  knew  how  to  die  combating  for  the  independence  of 
our  cherished  country. 

Soldiers — Victory  or  death  must  be  our  only  device. 

PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA. 

Head-Quarters,  Monterey,  Sept.  14th,  1846. 


110  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

18th,  when  General  Taylor  with  a  detachment  of  dragoons  and 
Texan  Rangers  was  fired  upon  when  within  two  hundred  yards  of 
the  city,  the  first  ball  striking  the  ground  within  about  ten  yards  of 
the  spot  where  he  stood.  About  the  same  time  two  hundred  and 
sixty  Mexican  cavalry  appeared  on  the  plain,  and,  after  firing  a  few 
volleys,  retired  into  the  city. 

The  appearance  of  the  heights  and  gorges  in  the  direction  of  the 
Saltillo  road,  induced  General  Taylor  to  believe  it  practicable  to  turn 
all  the  works  in  that  direction,  and  thus  cut  off  the  enemy's  line  of 
communication.  Accordingly,  after  establishing  his  camp  at  the 
Walnut  Springs,  he  ordered  a  close  reconnoisance  of  that  ground, 
which  was  executed  on  the  evening  of  the  19th  by  the  engineer 
officers  under  the  direction  of  Major  Mansfield.  A  reconnoisance 
of  the  eastern  approaches  was  at  the  same  time  made  by  Captain 
Williams,  of  the  topographical  engineers.  The  examination  made 
by  Major  Mansfield  proved  the  entire  practicability  of  throwing  for 
ward  a  column  to  the  Saltillo  road,  and  thus  turning  the  position  of 
the  enemy.  As  this  was  an  operation  of  essential  importance,  orders 
were  given  to  Brevet  Brigadier- General  Worth,  commanding  the 
second  division,  to  march  with  his  command  on  the  20th,  in  order 
to  turn  the  hill  of  the  Bishop's  Palace,  to  occupy  a  position  on  the 
Saltillo  road,  and  to  carry  as  many  of  the  enemy's  detached  works 
in  that  quarter  as  possible.  The  first  regiment  of  Texas  mounted 
volunteers,  under  command  of  Colonel  Hays,  was  associated  with 
the  second  division  in  this  service.  Captain  Sanders  (engineers), 
and  Lieutenant  Meade  (topographical  engineers),  were  also  ordered 
to  report  to  General  Worth  for  duty  with  his  column. 

A  two  o'clock,  P.  M.,  on  the  20th,  the  second  division  took  up 
its  march.  Some  officers  who  were  reconnoitering  the  town,  soon 
discovered  and  communicated  to  General  Worth,  that  his  move 
ment  had  been  perceived,  and  that  the  Mexicans  were  throwing 
reinforcements  towards  the  Bishop's  Palace  and  the  height  which 
commands  it.  In  order  to  divert  their  attention  as  far  as  practicable, 
the  first  division,  under  Brigadier-General  Twiggs,  and  field  division 
of  volunteers,  under  Major-General  Butler,  were  displayed  in  front 
of  the  town  until  dark.  Arrangements  were  made  at  the  same  time 
to  place  in  battery,  during  the  night,  at  a  suitable  distance  from  the 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY. 


Ill 


enemy's  main  work,  (the  citadel)  two  twenty-four  pounder  howit 
zers,  and  a  ten-inch  mortar,  with  a  view  to  open  a  fire  on  the  follow 
ing  day,  the  time  proposed  for  making  a  diversion  in  favor  of 
General  Worth's  movement.  The  fourth  infantry  covered  this 
battery  during  the  night ;  and  General  Worth  having  made  a  recon- 
noisance  as  far  as  the  Saltillo  road,  bivouacked  at  a  defensive  position 
within  range  of  a  battery  above  the  Bishop's  Palace. 


General    Twiggs. 


Early  on  the  morning  of  the  21st,  General  Taylor  received  a  note 
from  General  AVorth,  written  at  nine  o'clock  the  previous  evening,  and 
suggesting  a  strong  diversion  against  the  centre  and  left  of  the  town, 
to  favor  the  enterprise  against  the  heights  in  the  rear.  This  the 
commander  had  already  intended,  and  accordingly,  the  infantry  and 
artillery  of  the  first  division,  and  the  field  division  of  volunteers, 
were  ordered  under  arms,  and  took  the  direction  of  the  city,  leaving 
one  company  of  each  regiment  as  a  camp  guard.  The  second 


112  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

dragoons  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  May,  and  Colonel  Wood's  regi 
ment  of  Texas  mounted  volunteers,  under  the  immediate  direction 
of  General  Henderson,  were  directed  to  the  right  to  support  General 
Worth,  if  necessary,  and  to  make  an  impression  if  practicable,  upon 
the  upper  quarter  of  the  city.     Upon  approaching  the  mortar  bat 
tery,  the  first  and  third  regiments  of  infantry  and  battalion  of  Balti 
more    and  Washington    volunteers,    with    Captain    Bragg's    field 
battery — the    whole  under    the    command  of    Lieutenant-Colonel 
Garland — were  directed  toward  the  lower  part  of  the  town  with 
orders  to  make  a  strong  demonstration,  and  carry  one  of  the  enemy's 
advanced  works,  if  it  could  be  done  without  too  heavy  a  loss. 
Major  Mansfield  (engineers),  Captain  Williams,  and  Lieutenant  Pope, 
(topographical  engineers)  accompanied  this  column,  the  major  being 
charged  with  its  direction  and  the  designation  of  the  points  of  attack. 
At  daylight  of  the  21st,  the  column  of  General  Worth  was  again 
put  in  motion,  and  was  so  arranged  as  to  present  ready  order  of  battle 
at  any  point  on  which  they  might  be  assailed.     While  turning  the 
point  of  a  ridge  which  protruded  toward  the  enemy's  guns,  they 
were  fired  upon  by  a  howitzer  and  twelve  pounder,  and  soon  after 
while  passing  round  an  angle  of  the  mountain  at  a  hacienda  called 
San  Jeronima,  they  encountered   a  strong  force  of  cavalry  and  in 
fantry.     Captain  Gillespie  ordered  his  men  to  halt  and  place  them 
selves  in  ambush.    This  movement  was  not  perceived  by  the  enemy 
who  bore  on  full  speed,  until  received  by  McCulloch's  company, 
together  with  the  artillery  of  Captains  Smith  and  Scott,  aided  by 
Lieutenant  Longstreet's  company  of  the  eighth  infantry,  and  another 
of  the  same  regiment.     Captain  Duncan's  battery  of  light  artillery 
was  in  action  in  one  minute,  discharging  thick  showers  of  grape, 
which  did  great  execution.      At  the    end  of  fifteen   minutes  the 
enemy  scattered  and  fled,  leaving  about  one  hundred  on  the  field, 
of  whom  thirty  were  killed.     The  Americans  rapidly  pursued,  and 
obtained  possession  of  the  gorge,  where  all  the  debouches  from 
Monterey  unite,  so  that  the  force  just  defeated,  as  also  reinforce 
ments  and  supplies,  were  excluded  from  entering  the  city. 

The  light  batteries  were  now  driven  upon  the  slope  of  the  ridge, 
and  the  howitzers  opened  upon  the  heights  of  Palace  Hill.  Soon 
after  the  enemy  replied  from  a  nine  pounder,  situated  on  the  eieva- 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY. 


113 


Bishop's    Palace,    Monterey. 

tion  immediately  over  the  right  of  the  column  and  directed  at  Dun 
can's  batteries.  This  had  no  other  effect  than  to  cause  the  removal 
of  the  colonel's  guns  to  a  less  exposed  position  about  half  a  mile 
further  on  the  Saltillo  road.  Here  he  was  joined  by  General  Worth, 
who  had  ordered  the  foot  regiments  to  form  along  the  fence,  near 
the  point  of  the  ridge.  At  half  past  ten,  the  column  moved  towards 
the  General's  position,  amid  a  continual  fire  from  the  enemy,  by 
which  Captain  McKavett,  of  the  eighth  infantry,  was  shot  through 
the  heart,  with  a  nine  pound  ball,  and  a  private  of  the  fifth  infantry 
mortally  wounded  in  the  thigh. 

In  consequence  of  this  severe  annoyance,  Worth  determined  to 
make  himself  master  of  the  height*.  Besides  the  impracticability 
of  effective  operations  against  the  city  until  this  was  accomplished, 
their  occupation  was  indispensable  to  the  restoration  of  the  line  of 
communication  with  head  quarters,  which  had  been  necessarily 

15 


114  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

abandoned,  in  order  to  secure  the  gorges  of  the  Saltillo  road.  At 
noon,  therefore,  a  force  was  despatched  under  Captain  C.  F.  Smith, 
with  orders  to  storm  the  batteries  on  the  crest  of  the  nearest  hill, 
called  by  the  Mexicans,  Federacion,  and  after  taking  that  to  carry 
the  fort,  called  Soldada,  on  the  ridge  of  the  same  height,  retired 
about  six  hundred  yards.  This  command  consisted  of  four  compa 
nies  of  the  artillery  battalion,  and  Green's,  McGowan's,  R.  A.  Gilles- 
pie's,  Chandler's,  Ballone's,  and  McCulloch's  companies  of  Texan 
rifleman,  acting  in  concert  under  Major  Chevalier — in  all  about 
three  hundred  men. 

The  assailants  advanced  with  ardor,  but  as  the  distance  to  be 
climbed  after  reaching  the  foot  of  the  hill  was  full  quarter  of  a  mile, 
over  jagged  and  almost  perpendicular  rocks,  and  sandy  ledges,  it 
was  impossible  to  approach  so  rapidly  as  to  surprise  the  enemy. 
While  they  were  approaching  the  base  of  the  mountain,  the  guns 
of  both  batteries  opened  a  plunging  fire,  and  numerous  light  troops 
were  observed  descending  and  arranging  themselves  at  favorable 
positions  on  the  slopes.  Perceiving  this,  General  Worth  ordered 
Captain  Miles  with  the  seventh  infantry  to  support  the  first  party. 
By  marching  directly  to  the  foot  of  the  ridge,  they  arrived  first,  and 
the  captain  despatched  Lieutenant  Gantt,  with  a  detachment  of  men 
upon  the  hill  side,  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  enemy  from  Captain 
Smith's  party,  which  could  not  yet  be  seen.  The  seventh  infantry 
had  already  sustained  a  heavy  fire  of  grape  and  round  shot,  while 
fording  the  San  Juan;  and  now  Lieutenant  Gantt's  party  were 
greeted  with  another  shower,  which  tore  up  the  shrubs  and  loose 
stones  in  every  direction.  None  were  injured,  but  their  young  officer 
narrowly  escaped  a  shot,  which  struck  the  ground  so  near  him  as  to 
throw  fragments  of  rock  and  gravel  in  his  face.  Notwithstanding 
this  fire,  and  a  continual  discharge  of  musketry,  the  detachment  con 
tinued  to  advance,  driving  the  Mexicans  back  until  they  were 
recalled. 

Captain  Smith  now  arrived  and  both  parties  moved  up  the  hill, 
the  rangers  in  advance,  and  the  .attack  commenced.  The  firing  soon 
became  general,  and  after  a  little  while  the  Mexicans  yielded,  retiring 
slowly  up  the  hill,  steadily  followed  by  the  Americans.  Heavy  re 
inforcements  now  appeared  on  the  summit,  and  the  cardinal  import- 


IP™!" 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  115 

ance  of  the  operation  induced  General  Worth  to  detach  to  their 
support  the  fifth  infantry  under  Major  Scott,  and  Blanchard's  com 
panies  of  volunteers,  accompanied  by  Brigadier-General  Smith,  who 
was  intrusted  with  the  superintendence  of  the  whole  assault.  On 
reaching  the  advance  parties,  General  Smith  discovered  that  by 
directing  a  portion  of  the  force  to  the  right,  and  moving  it  obliquely 
up  the  hill,  he  could  obtain  such  advantage  from  the  ground  as  to 
carry  the  Soldada  simultaneously  with  the  Federacion.  He  accord 
ingly  pointed  it  out  to  the  fifth  and  seventh  regiments,  with  Blanch 
ard's  company,  and  accompanied  them  in  that  direction.  Both 
attacks  were  eminently  successful.  Amidst  a  heavy  fire  of  mus 
ketry,  the  troops  advanced  with  loud  cheers,  the  different  companies 
rushing  simultaneously  into  the  first  fort,  while  the  Mexicans  number 
ing  nearly  one  thousand,  escaped  on  the  opposite  side.  The  Soldada 
was  carried  so  soon  afterward,  that  many  of  those  who  participated 
in  the  first  affair,  took  part  also  in  the  second.  The  American  colors 
were  immediately  hoisted,  and  the  guns  of  both  places  turned  upon 
the  Bishop's  Palace. 

This  brilliant  assault  reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  General 
Smith  who  directed  it,  Captains  Miles,  McCall  and  C.  F.  Smith, 
Major  Scott  and  Colonel  P.  F.  Smith,  by  whom  it  was  conducted, 
and,  indeed,  upon  every  individual  concerned.  Their  loss  was  but 
nine  wounded  ;  and  a  large  quantity  of  military  and  other  stores  fell 
into  their  hands. 

While  these  operations  were  conducted  on  the  west  of  the  city, 
General  Taylor  with  the  main  army,  was  busily  engaged  on  the 
east.  Soon  after  detaching  May  and  Henderson,  the  mortar  served 
by  Captain  Ramsay  of  the  ordnance,  with  the  howitzer  battery  under 
Captain  Webster,  had  opened  its  fire  upon  the  citadel,  from  whence 
it  was  deliberately  answered.  General  Butler's  division  now  took 
up  a  position  in  rear  of  this  battery,  and  soon  the  discharges  of  artil 
lery,  mingled  with  a  rapid  firing  of  small  arms,  showed  that  Lieutenant 
Garland's  command  had  become  warmly  engaged.  It  being  neces 
sary  to  support  this  attack,  General  Taylor  ordered  the  fourth 
infantry  and  three  regiments  of  Butler's  division,  to  march  hi  the 
direction  of  the  advanced  work  in  the  lower  extremity  of  the  town, 
leaving  the  first  Kentucky  regiment  to  cover  the  mortar  and  howitzer 


116  LIFE   OF  GENERAL   TAYLOR. 

battery.  By  some  mistake,  two  companies  of  the  fourth  infantry 
did  not  receive  this  order,  and  consequently  were  not  able  to  join 
their  companions  until  some  time  afterward. 

While  these  companies  were  moving,  Lieutenant  Garland's  com 
mand  had  approached  the  town  in  a  direction  to  the  right  of  the 
advanced  work,  at  the  north-eastern  angle  of  the  city,  and  the 
engineer  officer,  covered  by  skirmishers,  had  succeeded  in  entering 
the  suburbs  and  gaining  cover.  The  remainder  of  the  command  now 
advanced  and  entered  the  town,  under  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  from 
the  citadel  and  works  on  the  left,  aided  by  the  musketry  of  the  houses 
and  small  works  in  front.  A  movement  to  the  right  was  attempted, 
with  a  view  to  gain  the  rear  of  the  advanced  work ;  but  the  troops 
were  so  much  exposed  to  a  fire  which  they  could  not  effectually 
return,  and  had  already  sustained  such  severe  loss,  particularly  in 
officers,  that  it  was  deemed  best  to  withdraw  them  to  a  more  secure 
position.  Captain  Backus,  however,  of  the  first  infantry,  with  por 
tions  of  his  own  and  other  companies,  had  gained  the  roof  of  a 
tannery  which  looked  directly  into  the  gorge  of  the  redoubt,  upon 
which  and  the  strong  building  in  its  rear,  he  poured  a  most  destruc 
tive  fire.  By  coinciding  in  point  of  time  with  the  advance  of  a  body 
of  volunteers  upon  that  work,  this  fire  contributed  essentially  to  its 
fall. 

Meanwhile  the  three  volunteer  regiments  under  General  Butler, 
had  been  advancing  •  to  an  assault.  The  leading  brigade  under 
Brigadier-General  Quitman,  preceded  by  three  companies  of  the 
fourth  infantry,  continued  its  advance  upon  the  redoubt,  while  Butler 
with  the  first  Ohio  regiment  entered  the  town  on  the  right.  The 
latter  companies  had  advanced  within  short  range  of  the  work,  when 
a  sudden  discharge,  from  the  enemy's  guns,  struck  down  nearly  one- 
third  of  the  officers  and  men,  and  rendered  it  necessary  to  fall  back 
upon  the  two  advancing  columns.  Unappalled  by  the  catastrophe  of 
their  comrades,  as  well  as  by  their  own  severe  loss,  Quitman's  brigade 
continued  to  advance,  and  carried  the  work  together  with  the  strong 
building  in  its  rear.  Three  officers,  twenty-seven  privates,  five 
pieces  of  artillery  and  a  supply  of  ammunition,  was  the  reward  of 
the  conquerors. 

Butler,  in  the  meantime,  had  entered  the  town  with  the  first  Ohio 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  117 

regiment ;  but  he  here  received  an  order  from  General  Taylor  to 
return,  in  consequence  of  not  being  able  to  accomplish  any  thing  in 
front;  but  upon  the  reception  of  intelligence  that  the  Mexican  redoubt 
had  surrendered,  this  order  was  almost  immediately  countermanded. 
Butler  then  entered  the  town  at  a  point  further  to  the  left,  and  marched 
in  the  direction  of  the  enemy's  second  battery  ;  but  while  making  an 
examination  in  order  to  ascertain  the  possibility  of  carrying  this  work, 
he  was  wounded,  and  soon  after  left  the  field.  On  account  of  this 
accident,  together  with  the  known  force  of  the  enemy,  it  was  thought 
advisable  to  withdraw  the  troops. 

Portions  of  the  various  regiments  engaged,  were  now  under  cover 
of  the  captured  battery  and  some  buildings  on  its  front  and  right. 
The  field-battery  of  Captains  Bragg  and  Ridgely,  was  also  partially 
covered  by  the  battery.  The  enemy  now  poured  an  incessant  fire 
from  their  second  battery,  and  the  works  on  its  right,  and  from  the 
citadel  at  every  approach  of  the  Americans.  General  Taylor  was 
now  joined  by  General  Twiggs,  who,  though  quite  unwell,  continued 
in  active  duty,  and  was  instrumental  in  causing  the  artillery  captured 
from  the  enemy,  to  be  placed  in  battery,  and  served  by  Captain 
Ridgely,  until  the  arrival  of  Captain  Webster's  howitzer  battery, 
which  took  its  place.  Meanwhile  a  company  collected  from  the  Bal 
timore  battalion,  and  the  first,  third  and  fourth  regiments  were  ordered 
to  enter  the  town,  penetrate  to  the  right,  and  carry  the  second  battery 
if  possible.  This  command,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Garland, 
advanced  beyond  a  bridge  called  Purisima,  and  sustained  themselves 
for  some  time  in  that  advanced  position.*  But  as  they  were  unable 

*  The  following  thrilling  extracts  from  the  letter  of  an  officer  in  the  Baltimore 
battalion,  show  the  danger  which  that  brave  detachment  underwent  in  this 
assault. 

"  I  saw  Colonel  Watson  shouting ;  but  as  to  hearing  a  command  that  was  an 
impossibility,  owing  to  the  deafening  roar  of  the  cannon  and  musketry.  I  reached 
my  company  just  as  the  colonel  was  dismounting  from  his  horse,  which  the  next 
moment  fell  from  a  shot.  He  cried  out  to  the  men  '  Shelter  yourselves  men, 
the  best  way  you  can.'  At  this  moment  the  battalion  was  scattered  over  a 
space  of  about  an  acre,  and  the  men  were  lying  down,  the  shot  in  most  instances 
flying  over  our  heads ;  but  the  guns  were  soon  depressed,  and  the  shot  began  to 
take  effect. 

"  I  was  lying  close  to  Colonel  Watson  alongside  of  a  hedge,  when  he  jumped 
up  and  cried  out,  '  now's  the  time  boys,  follow  me.'  I  was  up  and  after  him 
in  a  second,  my  men  following  me.  We  were  now  in  a  street  or  lane,  with  a 
few  houses  on  either  side,  and  within  a  hundred  yards  of  three  batteries  which 


118  LIFtf  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

to  gain  the  rear  of  the  battery,  or  to  make  a  permanent  impression 
where  they  were,  they  were  withdrawn  with  a  section  of  Captain 
Ridgely's  battery  which  had  joined  them,  to  the  first  battery. 

During  the  progress  of  this  cannonade  a  party  of  Mexican  cavalry 
were  observed  in  the  direction  of  the  citadel,  moving  toward  the 
American  lines.  Captain  Bragg  immediately  galloped  with  his 
battery,  to  a  suitable  position,  from  which  a  few  discharges  effectu 
ally  dispersed  them.  Captain  Millar  of  the  first  infantry,  was  des 
patched  with  a  mixed  command,  to  support  the  battery  on  this  service. 
The  enemy's  lancers  had  previously  charged  upon  the  Ohio  and  a 
part  of  the  Mississippi  regiments  near  some  fields,  at  a  distance  from 
the  edge  of  the  town,  but  had  been  repulsed  with  considerable  loss  ; 
and  some  cavalry  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  was  also  dispersed 
by  Captain  Ridgely's  battery  and  returned  to  the  city. 

At  the  approach  of  evening,  all  the  troops  that  had  been  engaged 
were  ordered  back  to  the  camp,  except  Captain  Ridgely's  battery  and 

completely  raked  it,  in  addition  to  which  two  twelve  pound  guns  were  planted  in 
the  Castle  on  the  right,  and  completely  enfiladed  the  distance  we  had  to  make. 
Add  to  this  the  thousand  musketeers  on  the  house-tops,  and  the  barricades  at 
the  head  of  the  street  up  which  we  advanced,  and  at  every  cross  street,  and 
you  may  form  some  idea  of  the  deluge  of  balls  poured  upon  us.  Onward  we 
went,  men  and  horses  falling  at  every  step.  Cheers,  shrieks,  groans  and  words 
of  command,  added  to  the  din,  whilst  the  roar  of  the  guns  was  absolutely 
deafening. 

"  We  had  advanced  up  the  street  under  this  awful  fire  nearly  two  hundred 
yards,  when  we  reached  a  cross  street,  at  the  corner  of  which  all  who  had  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  thus  far  alive,  halted,  as  if  by  mutual  consent.  I  was  shaking 
Colonel  Watson  by  the  hand  whilst  he  was  complimenting  me,  when  a  shower 
of  grape,  round  and  canister  shot  came  from  the  corner  above,  and  five  officers 
fell,  and  I  know  not  how  many  privates.  Each  man  sought  some  place  of 
apparent  shelter.  I  sat  down  on  the  ground  with  my  back  to  the  wall  of  a 
house.  On  my  left  were  two  men  torn  nearly  to  pieces.  One  of  them  was  lying 
flat  on  his  back,  with  his  legs  extending  farther  into  the  street  than  mine. 
Crash  came  another  shower  of  grape,  which  tore  one  of  his  wounded  legs  nearly 
off.  He  reared  up,  shrieked,  and  fell  back  a  corpse.  I  never  moved,  for  I  was 
satisfied  that  one  place  was  as  safe  as  another.  ******  Above,  below,  along 
side,  between  legs  and  arms  everywhere  the  balls  whistled  and  howled.  The 
air  seemed  cut  to  pieces  by  the  quantity  that  the  artillery  hurled  at  us,  and  it 
would  be  childish  to  tell  you  how  dose  they  came  to  me,  and  what  and  how 
many  escapes  I  had.  I  was  exposed  to  shot  in  that  fight  for  nine  hours." 

The  same  letter  speaks  thus  of  Colonel  Watson,  who  was  killed  during  this 
cannonade  by  a  shot  in  the  neck : — 

"  He  met  with  a  gallant  soldier's  death — his  face  to  the  foe.  His  loss  is 
deplored  by  all  who  knew  his  generosity  of  heart,  and  chivalry  of  character  :  to 
me  individually  it  is  great,  but  to  the  battalion  it  is  irreparable." 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  119 

the  regular  infantry  of  the  first  division,  who,  during  the  night,  were 
detailed  under  Lieutenant  Garland,  as  a  guard  for  the  works.  One 
battalion  of  the  first  Kentucky  regiment  was  ordered  to  reinforce  this 
command.  Intrenching  tools  were  procured,  and  during  the  night 
additional  strength  was  given  to  the  works  and  protection  to  the 
men,  by  parties  under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Scarritt,  of  the 
engineers. 

Thus  the  first  day's  assault  had  given  to  the  Americans  two  im 
portant  redoubts  without  the  city,  and  a  well  fortified  work  within. 
But  these  advantages  were  purchased  at  the  expense  of  some  of  their 
most  valuable  officers  ;*  and  their  total  loss,  as  stated  by  General 
Taylor  in  his  official  despatch,  was  not  less  than  394  in  killed  and 
wounded. 

The  troops  under  General  Worth  lay  on  their  arms  ah1  night,  and 
at  three  o'clock  next  morning  were  aroused  for  an  attack  upon  the 
Bishop's  Palace.  The  storming  party  consisted  of  two  companies 
of  the  fourth  artillery  battalion  and  one  of  the  third  ;  three  companies 
of  eighth  infantry,  including  two  hundred  Texan  riflemen,  under 
Colonel  Hays  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Walker :  the  whole  was 
superintended  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Childs,  and  conducted  to  the 
points  of  ascent  by  Captain  Sanders  and  Lieutenant  Meade.  Being 
favoured  by  the  weather,  they  had  reached  by  the  dawn  of  day, 
within  about  one  hundred  yards  of  the  crest,  at  which  position  a  body 
of  the  enemy  had  been  stationed  on  the  previous  evening,  in  order 
to  gall  the  assailants  from  the  clefts  of  the  rocks.  Their  retreating 
fire  was  not  returned,  until  Colonels  Childs'  and  Hays'  commands 
had  reached  to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  summit,  when  a  well  direct 
ed  volley,  followed  by  the  bayonet  of  the  regulars,  and  the  rush  of 
the  Texans,  placed  the  Americans  in  possession  of  the  work.  The 
cannon  having  been  previously  withdrawn,  no  impression  could  be 
made  upon  the  massive  walls  of  the  Palace,  or  its  outworks,  without 

*  Captain  Williams,  topographical  engineers ;  Lieutenants  Terrett  and 
Dilworth,  first  infantry  ;  Lieutenant  Woods,  second  infantry  ;  Captains  Morris 
and  Field,  Brevet  Major  Barbour,  Lieutenants  Irwin  and  Hazlett,  third  infantry  ; 
Lieutenant  Hoskins,  fourth  infantry  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  Watson,  Baltimore 
battalion  ;  Captain  Allen  and  Lieutenant  Putnam,  Tennessee  regiment,  and 
Lieutenant  Hctt,  Ohio  regiment,  were  killed,  together  with  Captain  McKavett  of 
the  eighth  infantry,  the  only  officer  who  fell  in  General  Worth's  division. 


120        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

artillery.  Lieutenant  Rowland  of  Duncan's  battery  was  now  ordered 
from  the  main  road  with  a  twelve  pound  howitzer,  and  in  two  hours 
mounted  his  guns,  although  he  had  been  obliged  to  climb  a  steep  and 
rugged  acclivity  more  than  seven  hundred  feet  high,  his  soldiers  carry 
ing  their  piece  by  main  strength.  Covered  by  the  epaulment  of 
the  captured  battery,  this  howitzer  now  opened  upon  the  Palace  and 
its  outwork,  at  the  distance  of  four  hundred  yards,  and  soon  produced 
a  visible  effect.  To  reinforce  the  position  thus  acquired,  the  fifth 
infantry  and  Major  Scott  and  Blanchard's  volunteers  had  passed  from 
the  first  heights,  and  reached  the  second  in  time  to  participate  in  the 
operations  against  the  Palace. 

The  remainder  of  these  operations,  together  with  its  capture,  we 
give  in  General  Worth's  own  language,  as  contained  in  his  official 
report  to  General  Taylor : 

"  After  many  affairs  of  light  troops  and  several  feints,  a  heavy 
sortie  was  made,  sustained  by  a  strong  corps  of  cavalry,  with  des 
perate  resolution,  to  repossess  the  heights.  Such  a  move  had  been 
anticipated  and  prepared  for.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Childs  had  ad 
vanced,  under  cover,  two  companies  of  light  troops,  under  command 
of  Captain  Vinton,  acting  major,  and  judiciously  drawn  up,  the 
main  body  of  his  command  flanked  on  the  right  by  Hays,  and  on 
the  left  by  Walker's  Texans.  The  enemy  advanced  boldly,  was 
repulsed  by  one  general  discharge  from  all  arms,  fled  in  confusion, 
closely  pressed  by  Childs  and  Hays,  preceded  by  the  light  troops 
under  Vinton ;  and  while  they  fled  past  our  troops,  entered  the  palace 
and  fort.  In  a  few  moments  the  unpretending  flag  of  our  union, 
had  replaced  the  gaudy  standard  of  Mexico.  The  captured  guns- 
one  six-inch  howitzer,  one  twelve  and  two  nine  pounder  brass  guns, 
together  with  Duncan's  and  McCall's  field-batteries,  which  came 
up  at  a  gallop,  were  in  full  and  effective  play  upon  the  retiring  and 
confused  masses  that  filled  the  street  (of  which  we  had  the  pro 
longation)  leading  to  the  nearest  plaza,  La  Capella,  also  crowded  with 
troops.  At  this  moment  the  enemy's  loss  was  heavy.  The  invest 
ment  was  now  complete  except  the  forces  necessary  to  hold  the 
positions  on  Independencia  and  serve  the  guns,  (shifted  to  points 
where  the  shot  could  be  made  to  reach  the  great  plaza,)  the  division 
was  now  concentrated  around  the  palace,  and  preparation  made  to 


STORMING  OF   MONTEREY.  121 

assault  the  city,  on  the  following  day  or  sooner,  should  the  General- 
in-chief  either  so  direct,  or  before  communication  be  had,  renew 
the  assault  from  the  opposite  quarter.  In  the  mean  time  attention 
was  directed  to  every  provision  our  circumstances  permitted,  to 
alleviate  the  condition  of  our  wounded  soldiers  and  officers,  and  to 
the  decent  interment  of  the  dead,  not  omitting  in  either  respect  all 
that  was  due  to  those  of  the  enemy." 

In  this  assault  the  Americans  lost  but  seven  killed  and  twelve 
wounded ;  the  loss  of  the  enemy  was  not  precisely  ascertained,  but 
is  known  to  have  been  very  heavy. 

During  the  whole  of  this  day  there  were  but  few  active  opera 
tions  at  the  lower  part  of  the  city.  The  citadel  and  other  works 
continued  to  fire  at  the  American  companies  exposed  to  their  range, 
and  at  the  redoubt  occupied  by  their  troops.  The  guard  left  in  it, 
the  preceding  night,  except  Captain  Ridgely's  company,  were 
relieved  at  mid-day  by  General  Quitman's  brigade.  Captain  Bragg's 
battery  was  thrown  under  cover  in  front  of  the  town,  to  repel  any 
demonstration  of  cavalry  in  that  quarter. 

During  the  night  the  enemy  evacuated  nearly  all  their  defences  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  city.  Early  in  the  morning  this  was  reported 
by  General  Quitman,  who,  having  already  meditated  an  assault 
upon  those  works,  now  received  instructions,  leaving  it  discretionary 
with  him  to  enter  the  city,  but  requested  him,  in  case  of  doing  so 
to  proceed  very  carefully,  covering  his  men  by  the  houses  and  walls, 
and  advancing  only  so  far  as  he  might  deem  safe  or  prudent.  Ac 
cordingly  a  portion  of  the  brigade  entered  the  town,  and  forced  their 
way  successfully  to  the  principal  plaza.  General  Taylor  then 
ordered  the  remainder  of  the  troops,  under  Brigadier-General  Twiggs, 
to  act  as  a  reserve,  and  soon  after  repaired  to  the  abandoned  works. 
The  second  regiment  of  Texas  mounted  volunteers  was  also 
ordered  up,  who  entered  the  city,  dismounted,  and  under  the  imme 
diate  orders  of  General  Henderson,  co-operated  with  Quitman's 
brigade.  They  were  assisted  by  Captain  Bragg's  battery,  supported 
by  the  third  infantry,  who  succeeded  in  battering  down  a  portion  of 
the  cathedral.  The  troops  advanced  from  house  to  house,  and  from 
square  to  square,  until  they  reached  a  street  but  one  square  in  rear 
of  the  principal  plaza,  in  and  near  which  the  enemy's  force  was 

16 


122        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

mainly  concentrated.  Though  vigorous,  the  advance  was  conducted 
with  due  caution,  so  that  notwithstanding  the  continual  fire  of  the 
enemy,  who  suffered  heavily,  the  assailants  lost  but  few.  In  the 
mean  time  Captain  Ridgely  had  served  against  the  city  a  piece  cap 
tured  in  the  first  battery,  until  the  advance  of  the  soldiers  rendered 
it  imprudent  to  fire  in  the  direction  of  the  cathedral. 

Thus  the  Mexicans  had  retired  from  the  lower  portion  of  the 
city,  in  order  to  concentrate  their  forces  for  a  final  effort  behind  their 
barricades  ;  and  it  was  apparent  that  the  army  could  now  operate 
successfully  against  them.  As  Quitman's  brigade  had  been  on  duty 
all  the  previous  night,  and  were  much  exhausted,  General  Taylor 
determined  to  withdraw  them  to  the  evacuated  works,  and  concert 
with  General  Worth  a  combined  attack  upon  the  town.  Accord 
ingly  the  troops  were  relieved  after  nightfall  by  the  brigade  of  Gen 
eral  Hamer,  and  deliberately,  and  in  good  order,  resumed  their 
original  position. 

On  returning  to  camp  General  Taylor  received  intelligence  by  an 
officer,  that  General  Worth,  induced  by  the  firing  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  city,  was  about  making  an  attack  at  the  upper  extremity, 
which  had  been  evacuated  by  the  enemy  to  a  considerable  distance. 
Although  this  would  have  afforded  a  fine  opportunity  for  co-operation, 
yet  the  commander  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  change  his  orders, 
and  accordingly  retired  to  camp. 

The  23d  had  been  a  season  of  activity  to  the  division  under 
General  Worth.  About  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  a  firing  was  heard  in 
the  opposite  quarter,  whose  heaviness  and  continuance,  as  well 
as  other  circumstances,  induced  a  belief  that  the  commander-in- 
chief  was  conducting  a  main  attack,  and  that  his  orders  for  co-ope 
ration  having  to  travel  a  circuit  of  six  miles,  had  either  been  mis 
carried  or  intercepted  by  some  of  the  numerous  cavalry  parties  of 
the  enemy.  Under  these  convictions  the  troops  were  instantly 
ordered  to  commence  an  operation,  which  if  not  otherwise  directed 
General  Worth  had  designed  to  execute  under  favor  of  the  night. 
Two  columns  of  attack  were  organized,  to  move  along  the  two  prin 
cipal  streets  which  run  in  the  direction  of  the  great  plaza.  The 
advance  was  composed  of  light  troops  slightly  extended,  whose 
duties  were  arduous  and  dangerous.  They  were  ordered  to  mask 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  123 

the  men  whenever  practicable,  avoiding  the  points  swept  by  the 
enemy's  artillery,  and  pressing  on  to  the  first  plaza,  (capella,)  obtain 
the  ends  of  the  streets  beyond  them,  enter  the  buildings,  and  by 
means  of  picks  and  bars  break  through  the  longitudinal  section  of 
the  walls,  work  from  house  to  house,  and  ascending  the  roofs,  to  place 
themselves  on  the  same,  breast  height  with  the  enemy.  Light  artil 
lery  by  sections  and  pieces,  under  Duncan,  Rowland,  McCall,  Mar 
tin,  Hays,  Irons,  Clarke,  and  Curd,  followed  at  suitable  intervals, 
covered  by  reserves  to  guard  the  pieces,  together  with  the  whole 
operation,  against  the  probable  enterprises  of  cavalry  upon  our  left. 
This  was  effectually  done  by  seizing  and  commanding  the  head  of 
every  cross  street. 

At  numerous  well  chosen  points,  the  enemy  had  barricaded  the 
streets  by  heavy  masonry  walls,  each  containing  embrasures  for  one 
or  more  guns,  and  the  whole  well  supported  by  cross  batteries. 
These  arrangements  made  it  necessary  for  the  Americans  to  act  with 
much  precaution,  and  gave  a  complicated  character  to  their  opera 
tions  ;  but  notwithstanding  the  difficulties  in  their  way,  they  worked 
steadily,  simultaneously,  and  successfully. 

Meanwhile  the  firing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  city  had  ceased, 
and  the  enemy  were  enabled  to  transfer  their  men  and  guns  from  that 
position,  and  employ  them  against  General  Worth.  The  troops, 
however,  still  continued  to  advance,  and  at  dark  reached  within  one 
block  of  the  principal  plaza,  having  worked  through  walls  and  squares, 
left  a  covered  way  in  their  rear,  and  carried  a  large  building  which 
towered  over  the  principal  defences,  and  on  the  roof  of  which  two 
howitzers  and  a  six  pounder  were  placed  during  the  night  and  en 
suing  morning. 

The  services  of  Major  Monroe  in  this  affair  are  thus  described 
by  General  Worth : 

"As  the  columns  of  attack  were  moving  from  the  Palace  Hill, 
Major  Monroe,  chief  of  artillery,  reached  me  with  a  ten  inch  mortar, 
which  was  immediately  advanced  to  the  plaza  chapel,  put  in  posi 
tion,  masked  by  the  church  wall,  its  bed  adjusted  as  rapidly  as  pos 
sible,  and  by  sunset  opened  upon  the  great  square.  At  this  period 
our  troops  had  worked  to  within  one  square  of  the  plaza.  The  exact 
position  of  our  comrades  on  the  opposite  side  was  not  known,  and 


124         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

the  distance  of  the  position  to  be  assailed  by  the  bomb  battery ;  but 
conjecturing,  eight  hundred  yards  was  assumed,  and  the  fuze  and 
charge  regulated  accordingly.  The  first  shell  fell  a  little  short  of 
the  point  on  which  it  was  directed,  and  beside  our  troops  ;  a  slight 
increase  of  the  projecting  charge  gave  exact  results.  The  whole 
service  was  managed  by  Major  Monroe  most  admirably,  and,  com 
bined  with  other  operations,  exercised  a  decided  influence  upon  the 
final  results.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  Major  Brown's  ar 
tillery  battalion  was  despatched  with  a  select  command,  and  one 
section  of  McCall's  battery,  under  Lieutenant  Irons,  to  occupy  the 
stone  mill  and  adjacent  grounds,  constituting  one  league  in  advance, 
the  narrow  gorge  near  St.  Catarina.  The  major  took  possession,  re 
pulsed  the  enemy's  pickets,  and  was  preparing  his  command  to  resist 
any  attack,  when  he  received  my  orders  to  retrace  his  steps,  enter 
the  city,  and  form  the  main  reserve  to  the  assaulting  columns.  He 
came  up  in  good  time  and  in  good  order,  and  was  at  once  under  fire." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  Colonel  Morena  arrived  at  the 
camp  of  General  Taylor,  bearing  the  following  communication  from 
General  Ampudia : 

[TRANSLATION.] 
D.  Pedro  Ampudia,  General-in-Chief,  to  Major-General  Taylor. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  AT  MONTEREY, 
Sept.  23d,  1846,  9  o'clock,  P.  M. 

SENOR  GENERAL  :  Having  made  the  defence  of  which  I  believe 
this  city  is  susceptible,  I  have  fulfilled  my  duty,  and  have  satisfied 
the  military  honor,  which  in  a  certain  manner,  is  common  to  all 
armies  of  the  civilized  world. 

To  prosecute  the  defence  therefore,  would  only  result  in  distress 
to  the  population,  who  have  already  suffered  enough  from  the  mis 
fortunes  consequent  on  war ;  and  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  Ame 
rican  government  has  manifested  a  disposition  to  negotiate,  I  propose 
to  you  to  evacuate  the  city  and  its  fort,  taking  with  me  the  persondle 
and  materielle  which  have  remained,  and  under  the  assurance  that 
no  harm  shall  ensue  to  the  inhabitants  who  have  taken  a  part  in  the 
defence. 

Be  pleased  to  accept  the   assurance  of  my  distinguished  con 
sideration.  PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA 
To  SEITOR  Box  Z.  TAYLOR, 

Commander-in-Chief  of  the  American  Army. 


STORMING  OF   MONTEREY.  125 

General  Taylor  replied  as  follows  : 

HEAD-QUARTERS  ARMY  OF  OCCUPATION, 
Camp  before  Monterey,  Sept  24,  1846,  7  o'clock,  A.  M. 

SIR:  Your  communication  bearing  date  at  nine  o'clock,  P.  M. 
on  the  23d  instant,  has  just  been  received  by  the  hands  of  Colonel 
iMoiena. 

In  answer  to  your  proposition  to  evacuate  the  city  and  fort,  with 
all  the  personel  and  materiel  of  war,  I  have  to  state  that  my  duty 
compels  me  to  decline  acceding  to  it.  A  complete  surrender  of  the 
town  and  garrison,  the  latter  as  prisoners  of  war,  is  now  demanded. 
But  such  surrender  will  be  upon  terms — and  the  gallant  defence  of 
the  place,  creditable  alike  to  the  Mexican  troops  and  nation,  will 
prompt  me  to  make  those  terms  as  liberal  as  possible.  The  garrison 
will  be  allowed  at  your  option,  after  laying  down  its  arms,  to  retire 
to  the  interior,  on  condition  of  not  serving  again  during  the  war,  or 
until  regularly  exchanged.  I  need  hardly  say  that  the  rights  of  non- 
combatants  will  be  respected. 

An  answer  to  this  communication  is  required  by  12  o'clock.  If 
you  assent  to  an  accommodation,  an  officer  will  be  despatched  at 
once,  under  instructions  to  arrange  the  conditions. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Z.  TAYLOR, 
Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.,  Commanding. 

SEWOH  D.  PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA, 
General-in-Chief,  Monterey. 

A  cessation  of  hostilities  now  took  place,  and  in  the  meanwhile, 
at  the  request  of  General  Ampudia,  the  two  commanders  had  a  per 
sonal  interview,*  which  resulted  in  the  capitulation  of  the  city  on 
the  following  terms : 

*  This  interview  is  thus  humorously  described  by  an  eye  witness : 
"  Ampudia  was  all  courtesy  and  fine  words,  big  speeches,  great  volubility, 
with  an  abundance  of  gesticulations,  shrugs,  nods,  alternate  smiles  and  frowns, 
and  that  whole  catalogue  of  silent  language  with  which  persons  of  French  origin 
(as  is  Ampudia)  are  wont  to  help  the  expression  of  their  ideas. 

"  General  Taylor,  on  the  other  hand,  was  as  dry  as  a  chip,  as  plain  as  a  pipe 
stem,  and  as  short  as  pie  crust.  Dressed  in  his  best  coat  (which  by  the  by  looks 
as  if  it  had  served  some  half  a  dozen  campaigns,)  with  his  glazed  oil-cloth  cap, 
strapless  pants,  and  old-fashioned  white  vest,  he  looked  more  like  an  old  farmer 
lately  elected  militia  colonel,  who  had  put  on  his  everyday  suit,  with  the  slight 
est  imaginable  sign  of  military  foppery,  to  distinguish  him  from  a  crowd  of  mere 


126        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Terms  of  Capitulation  of  the  city  of  Monterey,  the  capital  of  Nuevo  Leon,  agreed 
upon  by  the  undersigned  Commissioners,  to  wit:  General  Worth,  of  the 
United  States  army,  General  Henderson,  of  the  Texan  volunteers,  and  Colonel 
Davis,  of  the  Mississippi  riflemen,  on  the  part  of  Major-General  Taylor,  cotn- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  United  States  forces;  and  General  Raquena  and 
General  Ortega,  of  the  army  of  Mexico,  and  Senor  Manuel  M.  Llano,  gover 
nor  of  Nuevo  Leon,  on  the  part  of  Senor  General  Don  Pedro  de  Ampudia, 
cominanding-in-chief  the  army  of  the  north  of  Mexico. 

Art.  1.  As  the  legitimate  result  of  the  operations  before  this  place, 
and  the  present  position  of  the  contending  armies,  it  is  agreed  that  the 
city,  the  fortifications,  cannon,  the  munitions  of  war,  and  ah1  other  pub 
lic  property,  with  the  undermentioned  exceptions,  be  surrendered  to  the 
commanding  general  of  the  United  States  forces,  now  at  Monterey. 

Art.  2.  That  the  Mexican  forces  be  allowed  to  retain  the  follow 
ing  arms,  to  wit :  the  commissioned  officers  their  side  arms,  the 
infantry  their  arms  and  accoutrements,  the  cavalry  their  arms  and 
accoutrements,  the  artillery  one  field  battery,  not  to  exceed  six  pieces, 
with  twenty-one  rounds  of  ammunition. 

Art.  3.  That  the  Mexican  armed  forces  retire  within  seven  days 
from  this  date,  beyond  the  line  formed  by  the  pass  of  the  Rinconada, 
the  city  of  Linares,  and  San  Fernando  de  Presas. 

Art.  4.  That  the  citadel  of  Monterey  be  evacuated  by  the  Mexi- 

civilians.  In  his  reply  to  Ampudia's  long  harangues,  he  used  such  direct,  blunt, 
and  emphatic  language,  that  the  valorous  Mexican  was  thrown  all  aback  and 
«  had  nothing  to  say.'  " 

"  Ampudia  opened  the  interview  by  stating  that  his  forces  were  too  large  to  be 
conquered  by  General  Taylor's  army — 'that  he  had  an  abundance  of  ammuni 
tion,  7000  infantry  and  3000  cavalry,  with  40  cannon,  and  the  best  artillerists 
in  the  world — that  his  loss  was  very  small,  and  he  felt  confident  he  could  defend 
the  city  against  a  much  stronger  force  than  that  under  General  Taylor's  com 
mand  ;  but  that  from  motives  of  humanity — to  spare  the  effusion  of  blood — to 
save  the  lives  of  helpless  women  and  children,  he  was  willing  so  far  to  compro 
mise  the  glory  of  the  great  Mexican  nation,  as  to  surrender  the  city,  provided  he 
was  allowed  to  retire  with  his  whole  force,  and  carry  the  public  property  with 
him,  and  all  the  arms  and  munitions  of  war.  When  he  had  finished  his  mag 
nificent  oration,  which  in  the  style  of  his  celebrated  proclamation,  was  garnished 
with  numerous  allusions  to  the  stupendous  power,  and  unfading  glory  and 
renown  of  magnanimous  Mexico,  old  Zachary  quietly  stuck  his  hands  deep  into 
his  pockets,  cocked  his  head  a  little  on  one  side,  and  gently  raising  his  grizzly 
eyebrows,  that  the  bold  little  black  eye  lurking  beneath  might  have  full  play 
upon  the  grandiloquent  Mexican,  replied  in  these  few,  but  expressive  words : — 

" '  General  Ampudia,  we  come  here  to  take  Monterey,  and  we  are  going  to 
do  it  on  such  terms  as  please  us.  I  wish  you  good  morning.'  And  the  old 
general  hobbled  off  on  his  two  short  little  legs,  leaving  the  Mexican  general  and 
staff  in  the  profoundest  bewilderment." 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  127 

can,  and  occupied  by  the  American  forces,  to-morrow  morning,  at 
ten  o'clock. 

Art.  5.  To  avoid  collisions,  and  for  mutual  convenience,  that  the 
troops  of 'the  United  States  will  not  occupy  the  city  until  the  Mexi 
can  forces  have  withdrawn,  except  for  hospital  and  storage  purposes. 
Art.  6.  That  the  forces  of  the  United  States  will  not  advance 
beyond  the  line  specified  in  the  2d  [3d]  article  before  the  expiration 
of  eight  weeks,  or  until  the  orders  or  instructions  of  the  respective 
governments  can  be  received. 

Art.  7.  That  the  public  property  to  be  delivered  shall  be  turned 
over  and  received  by  officers  appointed  by  the  commanding  generals 
of  the  two  armies. 

Art.  8.  That  all  doubts  as  to  the  meaning  of  any  of  the  preceding 
articles  shall  be  solved  by  an  equitable  construction,  and  on  princi 
ples  of  liberality  to  the  retiring  army. 

Art.  9.  That  the  Mexican  flag,  when  struck  at  the  citadel,  may  be 
saluted  by  its  own  battery. 

Done  at  Monterey,  SepU  24,  1846. 

W.  J.  WORTH, 

Brigadier-General  U.  S.  A. 
J.  PINKNEY  HENDERSON, 

Maj.  Gen.  Comdg.  the  Texan  VoL 
JEFFERSON  DAVIS, 

Col.  Mississippi  Riflemen. 
MANUEL  M.  LLANO, 
T.  REQUENA, 
ORTEGA. 
(Approved:)  PEDRO  AMPUDIA. 

Z.  TAYLOR, 
Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.  Comdg. 

The  strength  of  the  city  and  other  important  items  is  thus  laid 
down  by  General  Taylor  in  his  official  despatch : 

"  Upon  occupying  the  city  it  was  discovered  to  be  of  great  strength 
in  itself,  and  to  have  its  approaches  carefully  and  strongly  fortified. 
The  town  and  works  were  armed  with  forty-two  pieces  of  cannon, 
well  supplied  with  ammunition,  and  manned  with  a  force  of  at  least 
7000  troops  of  the  line,  and  from  2000  to  3000  irregulars.  The 
force  under  my  orders  before  Monterey  was  425  officers,  and  6220 


128         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

men.  Our  artillery  consisted  of  one  ten-inch  mortar,  two  twenty 
four  pound  howitzers,  and  four  light  field  batteries  of  four  guns — the 
mortar  being  the  only  piece  suitable  to  the  operations  of  a  siege. 

"  Our  loss  is  twelve*  officers,  and  one  hundred  and  eight  men 
killed ;  thirty-onet  officers,  and  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  men 
wounded.  That  of  the  enemy  is  not  known  ;  but  is  believed  con 
siderably  to  exceed  our  own." 

The  conduct  of  General  Worth  is  thus  noticed  by  those  who 
shared  the  dangers  of  the  22d  with  him. 

"  General  Worth  has  distinguished  himself  as  a  gallant  soldier  and 
a  skilful  commander.  General  Taylor  gave  him  a  fair  chance,  and 
he  has  nobly  availed  himself  of  it.  His  division,  with  Hays's  regi 
ment  of  Texans,  have  gained  more  ground,  and  carried  more  points, 
than  all  the  rest  of  the  army,  and  with  very  little  loss.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  he  made  a  circuit  to  the  west  and  rear  of  the  city, 
and  then  stormed  several  strong  positions,  and  penetrated  into  the 
heart  of  the  city,  which  is  nothing  but  one  fortification,  the  thick 
walls  being  pierced  for  muskets,  and  cannon  being  placed  so  as  to 
rake  the  principal  streets.  The  roofs  being  flat,  and  the  front  walls 
rising  three  or  four  feet  above  the  roof,  of  course  every  street  has  a 
line  of  breastworks  on  each  side.  It  was  amid  such  scenes  that 
the  gallant  Worth  led  his  division  to  victory."  "  I  was  expecting 
to  see  him  rushing  his  men  into  unnecessary  danger,  in  order  to  win 
for  them  and  himself  great  military  fame  ;  but  his  conduct  has  been 
very  different  from  this.  His  great  study  has  been  to  gain  the 

*  Capt.  Williams,  topographical  engineers ;  Lieut.  Ferrett,  first  infantry , 
Capt.  L.  N.  Morris,  third  do. ;  Capt.  Field,  third  do  ;  Major  Barbour,  third  do. ; 
Lieut.  Corwin,  third  do. ;  Lieut.  Hazlitt,  third  do. ;  Lieut,  Hoskins,  third  do. ; 
Lieut.  Woods,  fourth  do. ;  Capt.  McKavett,  8th  do. ;  Col.  Watson,  Baltimore 
battalion ;  Capt.  Battlem,  first  Tennessee  regiment ;  Lieut.  Putnam,  first 
Tennessee  do. 

"f~  A  lieut.  in  a  Georgia  company ;  Major  Lear,  third  infantry,  severely . 
Capt.  Bainbridge,  third  do.,  very  slightly ;  Lieut.  R.  H.  Graham,  fourth  do ; 
Capt.  Lamotte,  first  do.,  slightly  ;  Lieut.  Dilworth,  first  do.,  severely ;  Lieut. 
Abercrombie,  first  do.,  slightly ;  Lieut.  Russell,  fifth  do.,  slightly ;  Lieut.  Potter, 
seventh  do.,  slightly ;  Gen.  Butler,  volunteer  division,  slightly ;  Col.  Mitchell, 
Ohio  volunteers,  slightly ;  Col.  McClung,  Mississippi,  severely ;  Major  Alex 
ander,  Tennessee  volunteers,  do. ;  Lieut.  Allen,  do.  do. ;  Lieut.  Scudder,  do.  do. ; 
Lieut.  Nixon,  do.  do. ;  Capt.  Dowler,  Morris  regiment ;  Lieut.  Armstrong, 
Ohio  regiment,  severely ;  Capt.  Gillespie,  Texas  Rangers,  mortally  wounded, 
since  dead. 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  129 

commanding  points  with  the  least  possible  sacrifice  of  life.  At  first 
it  seemed  totally  impossible  to  storm  these  heights,  but  it  has  been 
done." 

General  Taylor  also  notices  him  in  the  following  terms.  "  To 
the  general  officers  commanding  divisions,  Major-Generals  Butler 
and  Henderson,  and  Brigadier-Generals  Twiggs  and  Worth,  I  must 
express  my  obligations  for  the  efficient  aid  which  they  have  rendered 
in  their  respective  commands.  Brigadier-General  Worth  was  in 
trusted  with  an  important  detachment,  which  rendered  his  operations 
independent  of  my  own.  These  operations  were  conducted  with 
ability,  and  crowned  with  complete  success."  The  despatch  is 
full  of  compliments  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  participated  in 
the  attack. 

Concerning  the  terms  offered  to  the  garrison,  the  General  thus 
writes  : 

14  It  wjll  be  seen  that  the  terms  granted  the  Mexican  garrison  are 
less  rigorous  than  those  first  imposed.  The  gallant  defence  of  the 
town,  and  the  fact  of  a  recent  change  of  government  in  Mexico,  be 
lieved  to  be  favorable  to  the  interests  of  peace,  induced  me  to  concur 
with  the  commission  in  these  terms,  which  will,  I  trust,  receive  the 
approval  of  the  government.  The  latter  consideration  also  prompted 
the  convention  for  a  temporary  cessation  of  hostilities.  Though 
scarcely  warranted  by  my  instructions,  yet  the  change  of  affairs  since 
those  instructions  were  issued,  seemed  to  warrant  this  course.  I 
beg  to  be  advised  as  early  as  practicable  whether  I  have  met  the 
views  of  the  government  in  these  particulars." 

The  news  of  the  capture  of  Monterey  electrified  the  whole  country, 
and  the  gallant  army  of  the  Rio  Grande  received  thanks  and  con 
gratulations  from  every  quarter.  That  any  army  should  capture  a 
town  so  defended,  and  whose  garrison  were  double  their  number, 
does  indeed  deserve  the  highest  rewards  of  a  grateful  nation. 

General  Taylor  now  established  his  head-quarters  at  Monterey, 
while  General  Worth  was  sent  with  twelve  hundred  men  and  eight 
field  pieces  to  Saltillo.  Possession  was  taken  of  this  place  without 
opposition. 

The  following  is  the  official  despatch  of  the  Mexican  general 
regarding  the  capture  of  Monterey.  It  appears  that  after  the  capitu- 

17 


130  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


General    Ampudia. 

lation,  he  retired  to  Saltillo  with  a  view  to  fortify  that  place,  but  not 
receiving  the  co-operation  of  the  inhabitants,  he  subsequently  retired 
toward  the  capital. 

Official  despatch  of  General  Ampudia  to  the  Mexican  Secretary  of  War, 
announcing  the  surrender  of  Monterey. 

MOST  EXCELLENT  SIR  : — After  a  brilliant  defence,  in  the  course 
of  which  the  enemy  was  repulsed  with  the  loss  of  fifteen  hundred 
men  from  various  posts,  he  succeeded  in  possessing  himself  of  the 
heights  commanding  the  Bishop's  Palace,  and  another  to  the  south 
of  it,  and  likewise  a  detached  breastwork  called  the  Tenesia,  and 
continuing  his  attacks  through  the  houses,  which  he  pierced  in  a 
direction  towards  the  centre  of  the  city,  he  succeeded  in  posting  him 
self  within  half  gun  shot  of  the  principal  square  where  the  troops 
were  posted,  who  suffered  much  from  the  hollow  shot. 

Under  these  circumstances  I  was  requested  by  various  principal 
officers,  to  come  to  such  terms  as  would  diminish  our  losses  ;  for  to 
open  our  way  with  the  bayonet,  surrounded  as  we  were  by  in 
trenched  enemies,  would  have  resulted  in  the  dispersal  of  the  troops, 
and  nothing  of  the  materiel  would  have  been  saved.  These  con- 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  131 

siderations  having  been  weighed  by  me,  I  also  took  into  view 
what  the  city  suffered,  and  would  suffer  from  the  attacks,  by  the 
piercing  of  the  houses,  as  well  as  the  destruction  by  the  bombs  ; 
the  scarcity  of  ammunition  which  was  beginning  to  be  felt ;  the  pro 
visions  which  we  were  losing  as  the  enemy's  lines  approached  the 
centre  ;  the  distance  from  our  supplies  ;  and  finally,  that  to  protract 
this  state  of  things  for  two  or  three  days,  even  if  it  were  possible  to 
do  so,  could  not  end  in  a  triumph,  and  I  consented  to  open  proposi 
tions  which  resulted  in  the  annexed  terms  of  capitulation.* 

Your  excellency  will  perceive  that  they  preserve  the  honor  of  the 
nation,  and  that  of  the  army  ;  and  it  is  to  be  observed  that,  if  they  do 
not  grant  us  as  much  as  was  perhaps  expected,  that  of  itself  proves 
the  superiority  of  the  enemy,  not  in  valor,  which  he  displayed  in  most 
of  the  combats,  but  in  his  position  within  the  squares  of  pierced 
masonry  which  surrounded  the  square,  and  cut  off  any  supplies  of 
provisions,  wood,  or  other  articles  necessary  to  subsistence. 

With  the  greatest  regret  the  army  withdraws  from  their  capital, 
abundantly  watered  with  its  blood,  leaving  under  the  guarantee  of  the 
promises  of  the  American  generals  the  severely  wounded  and  the 
neighboring  population  of  the  state,  whose  civil  authorities  will  con 
tinue  in  the  exercise  of  their  functions.  To-morrow  I  shall  continue 
my  march  to  Saltillo,  where  I  will  await  the  orders  of  the  supreme 
government ;  and  in  communicating  this  to  you,  I  have  the  honor  to 
reiterate  the  assurances  of  my  highest  respect. 

God  and  liberty  ! 

PEDRO  DE  AMPUDIA. 
Head-Quarters  in  Monterey,  Sept.  25,  1846. 

Compared  with  General  Taylor's  report  and  with  Ampudia's 
previous  proclamation,  this  document  is  curious,  as  it  exhibits  not 
only  the  characteristic  differences  in  the  style  of  language  of  the 
two  generals,  but  also  that  the  opinion  previously  entertained  of  the 
American  commander,  had  undergone  some  modification. 

Upon  the  reception  of  the  above  report,  the  President  issued  the 
following 

*  Omitted ;  being  previously  given  in  General  Taylor's  report. 


132        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

PROCLAMATION, 

Of  General  Salas,  the  acting  President,  to  the  people  of  Mexico,  announcing 
the  loss  of  Monterey. 

Mexicans  !  A  government  established  against  the  will  of  the  nation 
is  interested  in  concealing  from  it  events  which  are  disastrous  to 
it ;  above  all  when  the  responsibility  of  their  occurrences  must  fall 
upon  the  government.  A  government  whose  sentiments  and  inter 
ests  are  no  other  than  those  of  the  nation,  and  which  has  emanated 
from  the  movement  by  which  it  threw  off  its  oppressors,  has  no 
need  to  conceal  any  thing  from  it,  for  the  nation  itself  must  combat 
for  its  preservation  and  for  its  honor. 

Mexicans !  Monterey  has  fallen.  It  was  not  enough  to  defy 
death  as  our  valiant  fellow  countrymen  did  for  four  days  ;  it  was 
necessary  to  do  more — to  defy  want  in  every  shape,  and  the  inef 
ficiency  of  means  of  resistance.  The  intention  of  the  enemy,  to 
occupy  the  whole  republic  is  manifest ;  but  the  government  is  deter 
mined  to  triumph  or  perish  with  the  republic.  Partial  disasters 
are  of  no  importance ;  the  Spanish  nation  suffered  much  more  in 
the  space  of  six  years,  and  the  results  of  her  heroic  efforts,  and  the 
co-operation  of  all  her  sons,  was  that  the  bones  of  half  a  million  of 
unjust  invaders  whiten  the  fields  of  the  peninsula.  Shall  we 
become  unworthy  of  independence  by  not  showing  ourselves  sons 
worthy  of  our  fathers  ?  That  independence  was  achieved  by  us 
alone,  only  after  ten  years  of  constancy  ;  and  it  is  not  possible  that 
an  organized  nation  should  show  less  strength  than  its  oppressed 
sons,  such  as  our  first  leaders  were. 

Mexicans  !  The  time  to  act  has  come.  Will  you  suffer  your 
population  to  be  decimated,  sending  it  to  perish  by  handfuls  on  the 
frontier,  one  to-day,  another  to-morrow,  and  to  perish  less  by  the 
enemy's  balls  than  by  neglect  ?  The  government  will  exert  all  its 
power  in  the  defence  of  rights ;  but  it  has  a  right  to  expect  that 
indifference  or  inactive  contemplation  shall  not  be  the  recompense 
of  its  plan  of  operation ;  for  the  nation  would  prefer  that  not  one 
stone  should  be  left  on  another,  rather  than  behold  its  sovereignty, 
its  rights,  and  its  temples  trampled  under  foot.  The  invincible 
general  called  by  it  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the  troops,  is 
resolved  not  to  survive  the  dishonors  of  his  country. 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY.  133 

Will  it  be  less  so  ?  No.  Our  blood  and  our  property  will  be 
the  sacrifice  that  we  offer  up ;  and  when  you  are  in  the  full  enjoy 
ment  of  the  rights  which  you  claimed,  I  do  not  doubt  of  your  co 
operation,  and  with  it  we  shall  snatch  from  fortune,  that  which  in 
the  end  will  ensure  to  us  existence  and  honor. 

JOSE  MARIANO  DE  SALAS. 

MEXICO,  Sept  30,  1846. 

For  some  time  after  General  Taylor  had  established  his  head 
quarters  at  Monterey,  he  was  obliged  to  remain  perfectly  passive, 
being  in  want  of  all  the  necessary  appendages  of  an  army,  and  sur 
rounded  by  difficulties.  The  Mexicans  had  evacuated  all  the 
country  north  and  east  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  leaving  behind  them 
about  forty  dragoons  to  destroy  fortifications  which  had  been  con 
structed  at  Los  Muertos,  a  naturally  strong  and  difficult  pass  on  the 
road  to  Saltillo,  and  about  five  or  six  miles  beyond  the  Rinconada. 
They  also  dismantled  Saltillo,  destroying  whatever  might  be  of  use 
to  the  American  army,  and  which  they  could  not  carry  away. 
"  Thus  there  was  nothing  left  for  General  Taylor  to  conquer,  but 
a  barren  region  of  rugged  mountains  and  thirsty  plains,  affording 
neither  water  nor  provisions  for  the  subsistence  of  man  or  beast, 
over  a  distance  of  two  or  three  hundred  miles,  to  San  Luis  Potosi. 
If,  as  has  been  said,  General  Taylor  has  orders  to  march  upon  San 
Luis  Potosi,  so  as  to  reach  that  city  by  the  end  of  November,  the 
question  arises,  how  he  is  to  traverse  such  a  country,  as  he  will 
have  to  do  by  a  forced  march  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
a-day." 

"  The  only  water  in  this  route  is  in  the  Mexican  tanks,  which 
will  doubtless  all  be  broken  up  as  the  enemy  retires.  To  carry 
water  sufficient  to  save  his  army  and  teams  from  suffering,  would 
probably  require  more  horses,  mules,  and  oxen,  than  are  now  in 
the  army,  all  of  which  are  required  for  the  transportation  of  the 
necessary  stores  and  munitions.  In  making  this  retreat  the  enemy 
have  doubtless  adopted  a  wise  policy,  leaving  behind  them  a  far 
more  formidable  enemy  for  General  Taylor  to  encounter,  (viz  :  this 
march,)  than  he  could  ever  find  in  their  own  arms  and  fortified 
towns." 

This  policy  has  doubtless  been  dictated  by  the  sagacity  of  Santa 


134  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Anna.  It  is  stated  on  good  authority,  that  he  had  sent  orders  to 
Ampudia,  to  evacuate  Monterey  and  all  other  places  this  side  of 
the  mountains;  but  that  those  orders  were  not  received  till  after 
the  battle.* 

While  affairs  were  in  this  condition,  considerable  misunder 
standing  took  place  between  the  volunteers  of  the  army  and  the 
Mexican  citizens.  The  "  terms  of  capitulation"  appear  to  have 
been  unpopular  with  the  majority  of  the  army,  and  this  with  other 
causes,  led  the  more  independent  portion  to  treat  the  Mexican  resi 
dents  with  an  insolence  approaching  to  tyranny.  On  the  other 
hand  the  citizens,  exasperated  by  the  loss  of  their  city,  and  looking 
upon  their  enemies  as  barbarous  invaders,  watched  every  covert 
opportunity  to  retaliate.  These  feelings  increased  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  became  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  in  the  morning,  several 
bodies  of  those  who  had  been  murdered  during  the  previous  night. 
The  subjoined  correspondence  will  show  the  dispositions  enter 
tained  by  the  authorities  of  the  respective  parties  concerning  these 
outrages. 

Under  the  date  of  September  29th,  Governor  Morales  thus  writes 
to  General  Taylor. 

"  Multitudes  of  complaints  have  been  made  to  this  government, 
against  excesses  committed  upon  persons  and  property  of  Mexicans 
daily,  by  the  volunteers,  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  and  I  am 
this  moment  informed,  that  three  of  our  citizens  have  been  killed  by 
them,  without  pity,  or  any  reasonable  motive,  only  because  they 
possess  the  power  to  do  so.  Under  such  circumstances  it  is  impos 
sible  that  society  can  remain  in  much  security,  as  the  most  essential 
guaranties  are  wanting.  I  have  the  honor  of  making  this  known  to 
your  excellency,  hoping  that  measures  will  be  adopted  to  put  an  end 
to  such  atrocities  in  future,  and  to  carry  into  effect  the  assurances 
given  of  protection  to  the  people. 

"  Repeating  my  esteem  and  consideration  for  your  excellency,  I 
am,  &c.  &c." 

On  the  1st  of  October,  General  Taylor  replied  as  follows  : — 

"  The  communication  of  your  excellency  dated  29th  ult.,  relative 
to  excesses  committed  by  volunteers  in  Monterey,  was  duly  received. 
*  GsUveston  News,  October  30th. 


STORMING  OF  MONTEREY. 


135 


Some  delay  has  occurred  in  answering  it,  in  order  that  I  might  com 
municate  with  the  commandant  of  that  post. 

"  It  is  with  sentiments  of  regret  I  learn  your  just  cause  of  com 
plaint,  founded  upon  the  grounds  stated  by  your  excellency.  Your 
excellency  must  be  aware,  that  it  is  no  easy  task  to  keep  such  men 
in  subjection,  and  although  my  great  desire  is  to  maintain  good  order, 
yet  excesses  have  been  committed ;  but  I  believe  none  of  a  grave 
character. 

"  The  volunteers  now  in  the  city  will  be  removed  in  a  few  days, 
and  by  their  absence  I  hope  all  cause  of  further  complaints  will  cease. 
In  the  meantime  Brigadier-General  Worth  will  use  all  efficacious 
measures  to  maintain  order  in  the  city.  He  is  now  invested  with 
orders  to  this  effect.  Your  excellency  must  be  aware  that  my  desire 
is  to  comply  with  the  guaranties  I  have  given,  in  the  name  of  my 
government,  relative  to  the  security  of  persons  and  property." 

In  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  above  letter,  active  measures 
were  taken  by  General  Taylor  to  suppress  these  outrages,  and  to 
discover  and  punish  the. perpetrators  ;  and  though  not  altogethei 
successful,  yet  similar  occurrences  became  far  less  frequent. 


PLAN  OF  MONTEREY. 


References  and  Explanations. 

A.  Plaza  de  La  CapeUa. 

B.  Plazuela  de  Carne. 

C.  American  Artillery. 

The  shaded  portion  of  the  town,  ten  squares  in  the  south-east  corner, 
is  the  part  held  by  the  Mexicans  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  Septem 
ber,  1846,  when  they  surrendered. 

The  dotted  line  represents  the  route  of  the  Americans. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


in 


@altfotnia 


ROM  the  theatre  of  war  where  General 
Taylor  was  personally  engaged,  we  now 
turn  our  eyes  to  the  north.  During  the 
operations  on  the  Rio  Grande,  just  re 
lated,  as  well  as  subsequent  to  the  fall 
of  Monterey,  important  movements  had 
taken  place  in  northern  Mexico,  of  which 
it  may  not  be  irrelevant  to  take  a  brief 
notice.  Several  pretty  important  battles 
had  been  fought,  which  had  placed  the 
"  army  of  invasion"  in  possession  of  the  provinces  of  New  Mexico, 
New  Leon,  Coahuila,  Tamaulipas,  and  the  Californias  ;  a  territory 
larger  in  extent  than  that  embraced  in  the  thirteen  original  States  of 
the  Union,  inhabited  by  a  considerable  population,  and  much  of  it 
more  than  a  thousand  miles  from  the  points  at  which  the  Americans 
collected  their  forces,  and  commenced  their  movements. 

Before  describing   the  engagements  which   took  place   between 

18  137 


138 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


Sante    Fe,   New    Mexico. 

the  Mexican  and  American  forces,  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  give 
an  account  of  the  invasion  of  the  above  provinces  by  the  Americans. 
On  the  30th  of  June,  1846,  Brigadier-General  Kearney,  with  the 
force  under  his  command,  amounting,  in  all,  to  about  1000  men, 
regulars  and  volunteers,  moved  from  Fort  I^eavenworth  upon  Santa 
Fe,  the  capital  of  New  Mexico,  where,  after  a  march  of  eight  hundred 
and  seventy- three  miles,  he  arrived  on  the  18th  of  August,  and  took 
military  possession  of  New  Mexico  without  resistance  at  his  approach. 
The  Mexican  forces,  about  four  thousand  in  number,  which  had  been 
collected  near  that  city  under  the  late  Governor  Armijo,  to  oppose 
his  progress,  dispersed,  and  the  governor  himself  fled  with  a  small 
command  of  dragoons  in  the  direction  of  Chihuahua.  Under  the 
apprehension  that  the  force  which  left  Fort  Leaven  worth  in  June, 
might  not  be  sufficient  fully  to  effect  the  purpose  of  the  expedition, 
which  was,  if  found  practicable,  to  pass  on  to  California,  after  con 
quering  and  securing  New  Mexico,  General  Kearney  was  author- 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  139 

ized  to  organize  r.nd  muster  into  service,  a  battalion  of  the  emigrants 
which  wore  on  their  way  to  Oregon  or  California.  This  had  been 
done,  and  also  one  thousand  additional  volunteers  from  Missouri 
were  sent  on  as  reinforcements,  to  his  disposable  force  for  California ; 
but  they  had  not  yet  arrived  when  he  departed  for  that  country. 

After  making  at  Sante  Fe  the  necessary  arrangements,  consequent 
on  the  military  occupation  of  New  Mexico,  General  Kearney  moved 
with  a  part  of  his  force  to  the  village  of  Tome,  about  one  hundred 
iniles  down  the  Rio  Grande.  The  inhabitants,  not  only  of  this 
place  and  of  Sante  Fe,  but  throughout  the  whole  department  of  New 
Mexico,  appeared  well  satisfied  with  the  change  that  had  taken  place 
in  the  government.  No  organized  resistance  to  the  Americans  was 
apprehended  ;  all  were  following  their  peaceful  occupations.* 

*  Immediately  after  the  occupation  of  New  Mexico,  General  Kearney  issued 
the  following 

PROCLAMATION, 

To  the  inhabitants  of  New  Mexico,  by  Brigadier- General  S.  W.  KEAUJTEY, 
commanding  the  troops  of  the  United  States  in  the  same. 

As  by  the  act  of  the  republic  of  Mexico,  a  state  of  war  exists  between  that 
government  and  the  United  States,  and  as  the  undersigned  at  the  head  of  his 
troops  on  the  18th  instant,  took  possession  of  Sante  Fe,  the  capital  of  the  de 
partment  of  New  Mexico,  he  now  announces  to  hold  the  department  with  its 
original  boundaries  (on  both  sides  of  the  Del  Norte)  as  a  part  of  the  United 
States,  and  under  the  name  of  the  territory  of  New  Mexico. 

The  undersigned  has  come  to  New  Mexico  with  a  strong  military  force,  and 
an  equally  strong  one  is  following  close  in  his  rear.  He  has  more  troops  than  arc 
necessary  to  put  down  any  opposition  that  can  possibly  be  brought  against  him, 
and  therefore  it  would  be  but  folly  or  madness,  for  any  dissatisfied  or  discontented 
person  to  think  of  resisting  him. 

The  undersigned  has  instructions  from  his  govenmcnt  to  respect  the  religious 
institutions  of  New  Mexico,  to  protect  the  property  of  the  Church,  to  cause  the 
worship  of  those  belonging  to  it  to  be  undisturbed,  and  their  religious  rights  in 
the  amplest  manner  reserved  to  them.  Also  to  protect  the  persons  and  property 
of  all  quiet  and  peaceful  citizens  within  its  boundaries  against  their  enemies, 
the  Eutaws,  Navohoes  and  others ;  and  while  he  assures  all,  that  it  will  be  his 
pleasure  as  well  as  his  duty,  to  comply  with  those  instructions,  he  calls  upon 
those  to  exert  themselves  in  preserving  order,  in  promoting  concord,  and  in 
maintaining  the  authority  and  efficiency  of  the  laws  ;  and  to  require  of  those  who 
have  left  their  homes  and  taken  up  arms  against  the  troops  of  the  United  States, 
to  return  forthwith  to  them,  or  else  they  will  be  considered  as  enemies  and  traitors, 
subjecting  their  persons  to  punishment  and  their  property  to  seizure  and  con 
fiscation,  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  treasury. 

It  is  the  wish  and  intention  of  the  United  States  to  provide  for  New  Mexico 
a  free  government  with  the  least  possible  delay,  similar  to  those  in  the  United 
.States,  and  the  people  of  New  Mexico  will  then  be  called  on  to  exercise  the 


140  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

After  ordering  a  part  of  the  volunteers  to  follow  him,  General 
Kearney  commenced  his  march  for  California,  at  the  head  of  a 
regular  force  of  about  three  hundred  dragoons,  intending  to  proceed 
down  the  Rio  Grande,  about  two  hundred  miles  from  Sante  Fe, 
thence  to  strike  across  the  Gila,  and  to  move  down  that  river  near 
its  mouth,  then  across  the  Colorado  to  the  Pacific,  where  he  hoped 
to  arrive  about  the  latter  part  of  November.  After  proceeding  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  Sante  Fe,  he  was  met  by  an  ex 
press  from  California,  sent  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fremont,  informing 
him  of  the  capture  of  California  by  the  American  land  and  naval  forces. 
Thinking  that  an  additional  force  would  not  be  required  in  Califor 
nia,  he  directed  most  of  those  with  him  to  return  to  Sante  Fe,  and 
accompanied  by  about  one  hundred  men,  repaired  forthwith  to  join  the 
forces  under  Lieutenant- Colonel  Fremont.  The  prompt  and  energetic 
manner  in  which  General  Kearney  conducted  to  a  successful  termina 
tion  this  difficult  and  distant  enterprise,  elicited  the  highest  commenda 
tion  of  the  executive  government  of  the  United  States. 

For  various  reasons,  it  was  deemed  important  by  the  United  States 
government,  that  military  occupation  should  be  taken  of  California, 
and  early  attention  was  given  to  the  subject. 

For  this  purpose  General  Kearney  was  ordered  to  proceed  with 
what  force  he  could  spare  to  that  country,  and  a  company  of  United 

rights  of  freemen,  in  electing  their  own  representatives  to  the  territorial  legisla 
ture  ;  but  until  this  can  be  done,  the  laws  hitherto  in  existence  will  be  continued 
until  changed  or  modified  by  competent  authority,  and  those  persons  holding 
office,  will  continue  in  the  same  for  the  present,  provided  they  will  consider 
themselves  good  citizens,  and  be  willing  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
United  States. 

The  undersigned  hereby  absolves  all  persons  residing  within  the  boundaries 
of  New  Mexico  from  further  allegiance  to  the  republic  of  Mexico,  and  hereby 
claims  them  as  citizens  of  the  United  States.  Those  who  remain  quiet  and 
peaceable  will  be  considered  as  good  citizens,  and  receive  protection.  Those  who 
are  found  in  arms,  or  instigating  others  against  the  United  States,  will  be  con 
sidered  as  traitors,  and  treated  accordingly.  Don  Manuel  Armijo,  the  late 
governor  of  this  department,  has  fled  from  it.  The  undersigned  has  taken 
possession  of  it  without  firing  a  gun,  or  spilling  a  drop  of  blood,  in  which  he 
most  truly  rejoices,  and  for  the  present  will  be  considered  as  governor  of  the 
territory. 

Given  at  Sante  Fe,  the  capital  of  the  territory  of  New  Mexico,  this  23rd  of 
August  1846,  and  in  the  71st  year  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States. 
By  the  Governor, 

S.  W.  KEABNET,  Brig.  Gen. 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  141 


Monterey,    Alt  a     California. 

States  artillery,  and  a  volunteer  company  of  infantry,  from  New  York, 
received  orders  to  co-operate  with  him,  by  sea.  Before,  however, 
the  latter  companies  had  left  the  United  States,  a  small  naval  force 
under  Commodore  Sloat,  and  a  small  land  force  under  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Fremont,  had  acquired  possession  of  both  Californias. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1845,  Captain  John  C.  Fremont,  since 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  was  despatched  by  the  War  Department  upon 
an  exploring  expedition  to  the  countries  bordering  upon  the  Pacific, 
and  lying  westward  of  the  United  States.  Hardly  had  he  entered 
California,  when  he  received  information  that  General  Castro,  with  a 
large  force,  was  advancing  to  drive  him  from  the  territory.  Colonel 
Fremont  was  in  no  condition  to  act  against  this  force  ;  his  intentions 
in  entering  the  territory  had  been  entirely  pacific,  and  his  whole  force 
was  but  sixty-two  men  :  with  this  little  band,  however,  he  determined 
to  await  the  attack  of  General  Castro,  and  accordingly  took  position 


142  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

on  a  mountain,  distant  about  thirty  miles  from  Monterey,  the  capital 
of  California,  where  he  intrenched  himself  and  raised  the  flag  of  the 
United  States. 

On  the  llth  of  June,  1846.  a  convoy  of  two  hundred  horses  for 
Castro's  camp,  with  an  officer,  and  fourteen  men,  were  surprised  and 
captured  by  twelve  of  Colonel  Fremont's  party.  On  the  15th,  at 
daybreak,  the  military  pass  of  Sanoma  was  also  surprised  and  taken, 
with  nine  brass  cannon,  two  hundred  and  fifty  stand  of  muskets, 
with  some  officers,  men,  and  munitions  of  war. 

Leaving  a  small  garrison  at  Sanoma,  Colonel  Fremont  advanced 
to  the  American  fork  of  the  Sacramento,  eighty  miles  distant  from 
Sanoma.  Scarcely  had  he  arrived  there,  when  an  express  reached 
him,  that  Castro  was  preparing  to  attack  the  little  garrison  at 
Sanoma.  He  immediately  set  out  for  that  place,  and  arrived  there 
on  the  25th,  with  ninety  riflemen  who  had  been  obtained  from  the 
American  settlers  in  the  valley.  A  party  of  twenty  was  now  sent  out 
to  reconnoitre  ;  and  fell  in  with  a  squadron  of  seventy  dragoons,  all  of 
Castro's  force  that  had  crossed  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  attacked 
and  defeated  it,  killing  and  wounding  five,  without  harm  to  themselves. 
Immediately  after  this  defeat,  General  Castro,  with  his  force,  retreat 
ed  to  Santa  Clara,  an  intrenched  post  on  the  south  side  of  the  bay  of 
San  Francisco.  His  force  consisted  of  four  hundred  men,  with  two 
pieces  of  field  artillery. 

The  country  north  of  the  bay  being  cleared  of  the  enemy,  Colonel 
Fremont  determined  to  advance  and  attack  General  Castro  at  Santa 
Clara.  On  the  6th  of  July  the  pursuit  was  commenced  by  a  body 
of  mounted  riflemen,  commanded  by  Colonel  Fremont  in  person, 
who  in  three  days  arrived  at  the  American  settlements  on  the  Rio  de 
los  Americanos.  Here  he  learned  that  Castro  had  abandoned  Santa 
Clara,  and  was  retreating  south  towards  Ciudad  de  los  Angelos,  (the 
city  of  the  Angels,)  the  seat  of  the  governor-general  of  the  California^, 
and  distant  nearly  four  hundred  miles. 

Colonel  Fremont  instantly  resolved  to  pursue  him  to  that  place. 
At  the  moment  of  departure,  he  received  the  gratifying  intelligence 
that  war  had  been  declared  with  Mexico ;  that  Monterey,  in  Cali 
fornia,  had  been  taken  by  a  naval  force  under  Commodore  Sloat,  and 
the  flag  of  the  United  States  raised  there  on  the  7th  of  July,  and 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  143 

that  the  fleet  would  co-operate  in  the  pursuit  of  General  Castro  and 
his  forces. 

Shortly  after  the  occupation  of  Monterey,  Commodore  Stockton 
looll  command  of  the  squadron  in  the  Pacific,  and  Commodore  Sloat 
sailed  for  the  United  States.  The  combined  pursuit  of  Castro  was 
rapidly  continued,  and  on  the  12th  of  August,  Commodore  Stockton 
and  Colonel  Fremont,  with  a  detachment  of  marines  from  the  squa 
dron,  and  some  riflemen,  entered  the  "  city  of  the  Angels''  without 
resistance ;  the  Governor-General  Pico,  the  Commandant-General 
Castro,  and  all  the  Mexican  authorities  having  fled  and  dispersed. 
Commodore  Stockton  took  possession  of  the  whole  country  as  a  con 
quest  of  the  United  States,  and  appointed  Colonel  Fremont  governor, 
under  the  law  of  nations,  to  assume  the  functions  of  that  office  when 
he  (Stockton)  should  return  to  the  squadron. 

Thus  in  the  short  space  of  sixty  days  from  the  first  decisive 
movement,  this  conquest  was  achieved  by  a  small  body  of  men,  to 
an  extent  beyond  their  most  ardent  expectations.  The  Mexican  au 
thorities  proclaimed  it  a  conquest,  not  only  of  the  northern  provinces, 
but  of  the  whole  of  the  Californias. 

Very  little  resistance  was  made  to  the  advances  of  the  Americans 
in  the  northern  provinces  of  Mexico,  until  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1847,  when  the  inhabitants  of  New  Mexico  and  Chihuahua  made 
several  desperate  attempts  to  recover  possession  of  their  soil,  but 
they  were  defeated  in  every  engagement. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1847,  at  the  village  of  La  Canada,  thirty 
miles  from  Santa  Fe,  an  engagement  took  place  between  a  small 
force  of  the  Americans  (290  men)  under  Colonel  Price,  and  a  body 
of  2000  Mexicans  and  Indians.  As  the  Americans  approached  the 
village,  they  found  the  enemy  posted  on  the  hills  in  every  direction, 
and  in  most  advantageous  positions.  The  artillery  was  soon  brought 
to  bear  upon  them,  and  the  fight  lasted  about  an  hour,  when  the 
enemy  fled  over  the  distant  hills  so  fast  that  it  was  found  impossible 
to  overtake  them.  The  Americans  lost  not  a  single  man,  while  the 
enemy  acknowledged  a  loss  of  36  killed  and  45  wounded. 

On  the  29th,  another  engagement  took  place  at  the  village  of  El 
Embudo,  between  a  large  body  of  Mexicans  and  a  small  force  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Bargwin,  The  Americans  had  to  climb 


144        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

steep  mountains,  supporting  themselves  by  the  bushes,  to  dislodge 
the  enemy,  who  were  finally  routed  with  a  loss  of  twenty  killed,  and 
about  sixty  wounded,  many  of  them  mortally.  The  Americans  had 
but  one  man  killed  and  one  wounded. 

Another  engagement  took  place  on  the  3d  of  February,  at  the 
strongly  fortified  village  of  Puebla  de  Taos.  The  attack  commenced 
about  two  o'clock,  p.  M.,  and  was  continued  until  dark.  Early  on 
the  next  morning  the  battle  was  renewed,  and  continued  with  occa 
sional  intervals,  until  dark,  at  which  time  the  Americans,  with  very 
little  loss,  had  forced  their  way  into  the  village.  The  next  morning 
the  enemy  sued  for  peace,  delivered  the  government  into  the  hands 
of  the  Americans,  and  thus  ended  the  campaign  in  New  Mexico. 

In  the  department  of  Chihuahua  the  Americans  met  with  very 
little  resistance  until  the  early  part  of  the  year  1847,  when  the 
enemy  occupied  and  fortified  the  ridge  and  neighboring  heights  about 
Sacramento.  Their  intrenchments  and  redoubts  commanded  the 
brow  of  an  elevation  extending  across  the  ridge  between  the  Arroyo 
Seco  and  that  of  Sacramento — both  of  which  cross  the  valley  from 
the  elevated  ridge  of  mountains  in  the  rear  of  the  village  of  Torreon, 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Sierra  de  Victorianto,  that  of  Nombreo 
de  Dios  on  the  east,  and  through  which  runs  the  Rio  del  Nombreo 
de  Dios.  This  valley  is  about  four  miles  in  width,  and  was  in 
trenched  by  the  Mexicans  entirely  across  from  mountain  to  mountain, 
the  road  to  the  city  of  Chihuahua  running  directly  through  its  centre. 
The  Mexican  right  and  left  were  strong  positions — the  Sierra  Fri- 
joles  on  their  right,  having  high  precipitous  sides,  with  a  redoubt 
commanding  the  surrounding  country,  and  the  pass  leading  towards 
Chihuahua,  through  the  Arroyo  Seco.  On  their  left,  the  Sierre  Sa 
cramento,  consisting  of  a  pile  of  volcanic  rocks,  surmounted  by  a 
battery,  commanded  the  main  road  to  Chihuahua.  Their  intrench 
ments  extended  nearly  two  miles,  and  were  supported  by  3001) 
infantry  and  cavalry.  On  the  28th  of  February,  a  force  of  th-j 
Americans,  many  times  inferior  in  numbers  to  that  of  the  enemy, 
advanced  to  attack  this  well  fortified  position.  Crossing  the  Arroyo 
Seco,  without  reach  of  the  enemy's  fire,  the  Americans  rapidly  ad 
vanced  towards  the  table  land  between  the  Seco  and  Sacramento,  and 
before  they  ^ould  be  prevented  by  the  enemy,  by  a  rapid  movement, 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  145 

seized  upon  a  favorable  position,  and  at  once  opened  a  heavy  fire 
upon  a  body  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  that  were  rapidly  advancing  to 
charge  their  rear. 

This  fire  broke  the  ranks  of  the  cavalry,  and  they  fled  in  confusion 
behind  their  intrenchments. 

The  Mexicans  now  rapidly  deployed  into  line,  bringing  up  their 
artillery  from  behind  the  intrenchments,  from  which  they  opened  a 
heavy  fire  upon  the  American  line,  mainly  directed  upon  the  battery, 
but  with  little  effect.  The  fire  of  the  Americans  dismounted  one  of 
the  enemy's  pieces,  dispersed  the  cavalry,  and  drove  the  infantry 
from  its  position,  forcing  it  again  to  retire  behind  the  intrenchments. 
The  firing  on  both  sides  now  ceased  for  some  time,  the  enemy,  dur 
ing  the  cessation,  removing  his  cannon  and  wounded,  while  the 
Americans  moved  towards  the  right,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a 
more  advantageous  position.  The  moment  this  object  was  gained, 
a  rapid  charge  was  made  upon  the  enemy's  left,  and  a  heavy  fire  of 
grape  and  canister  opened  into  his  ranks,  which  was  returned,  but 
without  effect.  The  Americans  now  advanced  upon  the  intrench 
ments,  pouring  forth  so  destructive  a  fire  that  the  enemy  were 
driven  from  their  breastworks  in  great  confusion.  Simultane 
ously  with  this,  successful  charges  were  made  against  the  right  and 
centre.  The  Mexicans  vacated  all  of  their  intrenchments,  and,  de 
serting  their  guns,  were  hotly  pursued  towards  the  mountains  beyond 
the  Sierra  Frijoles,  and  down  Arroyo  Seco  la  Sacramento,  by  both 
wings  of  the  American  army.  To  cover  their  retreat  they  had 
taken  the  heaviest  of  the  cannon  from  the  intrenchments  to  the  Sierra 
Sacramento,  which  now  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  pursuing 
Americans,  but  it  was  returned  with  such  briskness  and  precision 
that  the  battery  was  soon  silenced,  and  the  enemy  seen  precipitately 
retreating. 

We  will  now  glance  at  the  most  important  movements  of  Colonel 
Doniphan,  which  we  have  reserved  for  a  separate  paragraph,  in 
order  to  present  them  in  one  view.  He  had  been  detached  with  a 
party  of  about  six  hundred  men,  of  whom  one  hundred  were  from 
Santa  Fe,  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mitchell,  and  the  remainder 
were  his  own  troops.  On  the  25th  of  December,  1816,  he  waj 
met  by  about  eleven  hundred  Mexicans  from  the  city  of  Chihuahua, 

19 


146  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

to  whom  he  gave  battle.  At  the  commencement  of  the  attack  his 
men  were  in  great  confusion,  but  being  called  together  immediately, 
and  drawn  up  as  infantry,  they  received  three  fires  from  the  en3aiy 
with  great  firmness,  and  then  poured  forth  such  a  volley  as  b'*oke 
the  entire  line  of  the  enemy.  After  the  third  fire  Captain  Reid 
made  a  gallant  charge  with  sixteen  mounted  men,  and  killed  several 
of  the  enemy,  and  captured  some  mules  and  horses,  and  a  mule 
load  of  powder.  A  full  account  of  the  battle,  which  lasted  about 
half  an  hour,  is  given  in  the  following  report : 

DETACHMENT  OF  Mo.  LIGHT  AUTILLERT, 
Camp  below  Bracito,  Rio  Grande,  Dec.  26, 1846. 

DEAR  SIR  : — I  can  only  write  to  you  a  few  lines,  being  upon  the 
point  of  breaking  up  camp.  Our  detachment  at  Fray  Cristobal, 
overtook  Colonel  Doniphan's  command.  Major  Gilpin  with  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  had  previously  left  for  El  Paso,  and  Colo 
nel  Jackson  xvas  following  with  two  hundred.  Colonel  Doniphan 
had  one  hundred  arid  fifty  men  with  him,  the  remainder  of  his  regi 
ment  being  sick,  attending  on  sick,  or  detached  through  the  country. 
From  Fray  Cristobal  our  detachment  marched  with  Colonel  Doni 
phan  south  ;  when  at  the  Laguna  of  the  Jornada  del  Muerte,  news 
reached  us  through  an  express  sent  by  Major  Gilpin,  that  the  Mex 
icans  had  determined  to  resist  at  El  Paso,  and  had  collected  a  conside 
rable  number  of  troops,  intending  to  give  us  battle.  An  express  had 
been  sent  to  Santa  Fe  for  part  of  the  artillery  under  Major  Clarke, 
but  no  news  had  as  yet  reached  us  from  them,  so  that  the  detach 
ment  of  thirty  men  from  the  three  companies  of  our  corps  are  all 
that  are  here  from  the  battalion.  At  the  southern  end  of  the  Jor 
nada,  ten  miles  north  of  Don  Ana,  the  traders  had  encamped. 
Contradictory  rumors  of  the  enemy's  approach  reached  us  daily. 

Yesterday,  (Christmas,)  when  we  had  just  arrived  in  camp  here, 
with  about  six  hundred  men,  had  unsaddled  our  animals,  and  most 
of  the  men  were  engaged  in  carrying  wood  and  water,  the  news 
was  brought  into  camp,  that  the  enemy  were  near,  arid  advancing. 
It  was  about  two  o'clock,  p.  M.,  and  the  day  was  very  pleasant. 
Our  horses  grazing  some  distance  from  camp,  at  the  time,  we 
formed  a  single  line,  and  determined  to  meet  the  enemy  as  infantry. 
Their  attack  being  evidently  designed  on  the  left  flank,  near  which 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA. 


147 


Town    of   Marin    and    Pass   of    Salinas. 

was  our  wagon  train,  our  detachment  was  ordered  from  the  extreme 
right  to  the  left,  where  we  soon  took  up  our  position.  One  piece 
of  artillery,  four  hundred  and  ninety  regular  lancers  and  cavalry, 
and  one  hundred  regular  infantry,  besides  some  five  hundred  militia 
troops  from  El  Paso,  composed  the  enemy's  forces,  according  to 
the  best  information  I  can  obtain  from  reports  of  prisoners  and  from 
papers  found  amongst  the  baggage  on  the  field  of  battle.  The  enemy 
ranged  themselves  on  the  east,  within  half  a  mile  of  our  line,  the 
mountains  in  their  rear.  In  our  rear  was  the  river  with  a  little 
brushwood  on  its  banks. 

Previous  to  the  encounter,  a  lieutenant  from  the  ranks  came  for 
ward,  waving  a  black  flag  in  his  hand,  but  halted  when  within  one 
hundred  steps  of  our  line.  Thomas  Caldwell,  our  interpreter,  rode 
out  to  meet  him.  The  messenger  with  the  black  flag  of  defiance 
demanded  that  the  commander  should  come  into  their  camp  aiid 


148  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

speak  to  their  general.  The  reply  was — '  If  your  general  wants  to 
see  our  commander,  let  him  come  here.'  *  We  shall  break  your 
ranks  then  and  take  him  there,'  was  the  retort  of  the  Mexican. 

* 

'  Come  and  take  him,'  said  the  interpreter,  unwittingly  using  the 
words  of  the  Spartan  at  Thermopylae.  '  A  curse  on  you,  prepare 
for  a  charge,'  cried  the  Mexican, '  we  give  no  quarters  and  ask 
none,'  and  waving  his  black  flag  gracefully  over  his  head,  he  gal 
loped  back  towards  the  enemy's  line.  Their  charge  was  made  by 
the  dragoons  from  their  right,  directed  upon  our  left  flank,  bringing 
our  detachment  into  the  closest  fire.  Their  infantry,  with  one 
howitzer  with  them,  at  the  same  time  attacking  our  right  flank. 

Their  charge  was  a  handsome  one,  but  was  too  well,  too  coolly 
met  to  break  our  line.  After  their  fire  had  been  spent,  their  front 
column  being  at  about  one  hundred  steps  from  the  front  of  our  flank, 
our  line  poured  a  volley  into  them,  which  being  a  few  times  repeated, 
created  such  havoc  in  their  columns,  that  their  forces  wheeled  to 
the  left,  retreating  from  our  fire,  and  in  their  flight  made  an  attack 
on  the  provision  train.  Here  they  met  with  a  very  warm  recep 
tion,  and  were  soon  compelled  to  fly  in  all  directions,  and  in  the 
utmost  confusion.  Their  infantry  having  been  put  to  flight,  the 
Howard  company,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  N.  Wright, 
taking  advantage  of  the  panic,  charged  upon  them,  and  captured 
their  cannon,  which  was  soon  manned  by  the  artillery  detachment, 
under  Lieutenant  Kribben,  in  Colonel  Mitchell's  escort.  The 
enemy  had  by  this  time  fled,  leaving  their  arms,  baggage,  provi 
sions,  and  other  stores  on  the  field  of  battle. 

A  small  body  of  mounted  men,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Reid,  had  by  this  time  gathered  together  in  a  line,  and  charged  upon 
the  enemy,  pursuing  them  into  the  mountains,  where  they  sought 
refuge.  The  number  of  their  dead  is  said  to  be  at  least  thirty, 
that  of  their  wounded  was  slight,  as  far  as  ascertained.  Had  we 
had  a  single  piece  of  cannon  with  us,  they  would  have  lost  more 
of  their  men,  but  having  no  artillery  on  our  side,  we  had  to  act  as 
infantry  until  we  got  possession  of  the  howitzer  so  gallantly  cap 
tured  by  the  Howard  company. 

We  lost  not  a  single  man,  and  had  but  seven  slightly  wounded, 
took  eight  prisoners,  six  of  whom  died  last  night.  Thus  ended 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  149 

the  battle  of  Bracito,  the  first  battle  of  the  army  of  the  west,  and 
as  bravely  fought  by  our  men  as  ever  men  fought  at  any  engage 
ment." 

.  The  force  which  engaged  Colonel  Doniphan  was  undoubtedly 
part  of  a  large  number  of  troops  who  had  been  appointed  to  aid 
the  dissatisfied  of  New  Mexico,  in  their  opposition  to  the  lately 
established  American  government.  A  plan  for  that  purpose  had 
long  been  in  operation  among  the  greater  portion  of  the  inhabitants, 
but  after  some  of  the  leaders  were  detected,  it  was  in  a  great  measure 
broken  up. 

After  the  battle,  the  Americans  hastened  toward  La  Paso,  in  the 
hope  of  overtaking  a  large  body  of  Mexicans,  said  to  be  posted 
there.  He  took  possession  of  the  pass  with  but  little  trouble,  and 
was  soon  joined  by  Major  M.  Lewis  Clarke,  which  augmented  his 
force  to  nearly  one  thousand  men.  His  attack  upon  the  city  of 
Chihuahua,  with  this  force,  detailed  in  his  official  report,  as  fol 
lows  : 

HEAD-QUARTERS  OP  THE  ARMY  IN  CHIHUAHUA, 
City  of  Chihuahua,  March  ±th,  1847. 

I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  you  the  movements  of  the  army  under 
my  command  since  my  last  official  report. 

On  the  evening  of  the  8th  of  February,  1847,  we  left  the  town 
of  El  Paso  del  Norte,  escorting  the  merchant  train  or  caravan  of 
about  three  hundred  and  fifteen  wagons  for  the  city  of  Chihuahua. 
Our  force  consisted  of  nine  hundred  and  twenty-four  effective  men, 
one  hundred  and  seventeen  officers  and  privates  of  the  artillery, 
ninety-three  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Mitchell's  escort,  and  the  re 
mainder  the  first  regiment  Missouri  mounted  volunteers.  We  pro 
gressed  in  the  direction  of  this  place  until  the  25th,  when  we  were 
informed  by  our  spies  that  the  enemy,  to  the  number  of  fifteen  hun 
dred  men  were  at  Inseneas,  the  country-seat  of  Governor  Trias,  about 
twenty-five  miles  in  advance. 

When  we  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  26th  near  that  point,  we 
found  that  the  force  had  retreated  in  the  direction  of  this  city.  We 
were  also  informed  that  there  was  no  water  between  the  point  we 
were  at  and  that  occupied  by  the  enemy ;  we  therefore  determined 
to  halt  until  morning.  At  sunrise  on  the  28th,  the  last  day  of 


150        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

February,  we  took  up  the  line  of  march,  and  formed  the  whole  train, 
consisting  of  three  hundred  and  fifteen  heavy  traders'  wagons  and 
our  commissary  and  company  wagons,  into  four  columns,  thus  short 
ening  our  line  so  as  to  make  it  more  easily  protected.  We  placed 
the  artillery,  and  all  the  command  except  two  hundred  cavalry 
proper  in  the  intervals  between  the  columns  of  wagons.  We  thus 
fully  concealed  our  force  and  its  position,  by  masking  our  force  with 
the  cavalry.  When  we  arrived  within  three  miles  of  the  enemy, 
we  made  a  reconnoisance  of  his  position,  and  of  the  arrangement  of 
his  forces.  This  we  could  easily  do — the  road  leading  through  an 
open  prairie  valley  between  sterile  mountains.  The  pass  of  the 
Sacramento  is  formed  by  a  point  of  the  mountains  on  our  right,  their 
left  extending  into  the  valley  or  plain  so  as  to  narrow  the  valley  to 
about  one  mile  and  a  half.  On  our  left  was  a  deep,  dry,  sandy 
channel  of  a  creek,  and  between  these  points  the  plain  rises  to  sixty 
feet  abruptly.  This  rise  is  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  the  convex 
part  being  to  the  north  of  our  forces.  On  the  right  from  the  point 
of  mountains,  a  narrow  part  of  the  plain  extends  north  one  mile 
and  a  half  further  than  on  the  left.  The  main  road  passes  down  the 
centre  of  the  valley  and  across  the  crescent,  near  the  left  or  dry 
branch.  The  Sacramento  rises  in  the  mountains  on  the  right,  and 
the  road  falls  on  to  it  about  one  mile  below  the  battle-field  or  intrench- 
ment  of  the  enemy.  We  ascertained  that  the  enemy  had  one  battery 
of  four  guns,  two  nine  and  six  pounders,  on  the  point  of  the  moun 
tain  to  our  right  (their  left)  at  a  good  elevation  to  sweep  the  plain, 
and  at  a  point  where  the  mountains  extended  farthest  into  the  plain. 
On  our  left  they  had  another  battery  on  an  elevation  commanding  the 
road,  and  three  intrenchments  of  two  six  pounders  ;  and  on  the  brow 
of  the  crescent,  near  the  centre,  another  of  two  six  and  two  four, 
and  six  culverins  or  rampart  pieces  mounted  on  carriages ;  and  on 
the  crest  of  the  hill,  or  ascent  between  the  batteries,  and  on  the  right 
and  left  they  had  twenty-seven  redoubts  dug  and  thrown  up,  extend 
ing  at  short  intervals  across  the  whole  ground.  In  these  their 
infantry  were  placed,  and  were  entirely  protected.  Their  cavalry 
was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  redoubts  in  the  intervals  four  deep,  and 
in  the  front  of  the  redoubts  two  deep,  so  as  to  mask  them  as  far  as 
possible.  When  we  had  arrived  within  one  and  a  half  miles  of  the 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  151 

intrenchmcnts  along  the  main  road,  we  advanced  the  cavalry  still 
farther,  and  suddenly  diverged  with  the  columns  to  the  right,  so  as 
to  gain  the  narrow  part  of  our  ascent  on  our  right,  which  the  enemy 
discovering,  endeavored  to  prevent  by  moving  forward  with  one 
thousand  cavalry,  and  four  pieces  of  cannon  in  their  rear,  masked 
by  them.  Our  movements  were  so  rapid,  that  we  gained  the  eleva 
tion  with  our  forces  and  the  advance  of  our  wagons  in  time  to  form 
before  they  arrived  within  reach  of  our  guns.  The  enemy  halted, 
and  we  advanced  the  head  of  our  column  within  twelve  hundred 
yards  of  them,  so  as  to  let  our  wagons  attain  the  highlands  and  fonn 
as  before. 

We  now  commenced  the  action  by  a  brisk  fire  from  our  battery, 
and  the  enemy  unmasked  and  commenced  also.  Our  fires  proved 
effective  at  this  distance,  killing  fifteen  men,  wounding  others,  and 
disabling  one  of  the  enemy's  guns.  We  had  two  men  slightly 
wounded,  and  several  horses  and  mules  killed.  The  enemy  then 
slowly  retreated  behind  their  works  in  some  confusion,  and  we 
resumed  our  march  in  our  former  order,  still  diverging  more  to  the 
right  to  avoid  their  battery  on  our  left  (their  right,)  and  their  strongest 
redoubts,  which  were  on  the  left  near  where  the  road  passes.  After 
marching  as  far  as  we  safely  could  without  coming  in  range  of  their 
heavy  battery  on  our  right,  Captain  Weightman  of  the  artillery  was 
ordered  to  charge  with  the  two  twelve  pound  howitzers,  to  be  sup 
ported  by  the  cavalry  under  Captains  Reid,  Parsons,  and  Hudson. 
The  howitzers  charged  at  full  speed,  and  were  gallantly  sustained 
by  Captain  Reid,  but  by  some  misunderstanding  my  order  was  not 
given  to  the  other  two  companies.  Captain  Hudson  anticipating  my 
order,  charged  in  time  to  give  ample  support  to  the  howitzers. 
Captain  Parsons  at  the  same  moment  came  to  me  and  asked  per 
mission  for  his  company  to  charge  the  redoubts  immediately  to  the 
left  of  Captain  Weightman,  which  he  did  very  gallantly.  The 
remainder  of  the  two  battalions  of  the  first  regiment  were  dismounted 
during  the  cavalry  charge,  and  following  rapidly  on  foot,  and  Major 
Clarke  advancing  as  fast  as  practicable  with  the  remainder  of  the 
battery,  we  charged  their  redoubts  from  right  to  left  with  a  brisk  and 
deadly  fire  of  riflemen ;  while  Major  Clarke  opened  a  rapid  and  well 
directed  fire  on  a  column  of  cavalry  attempting  to  pass  to  our  left  so 


152         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

as  to  attack  the  wagons  and  our  rear.  The  fire  was  so  well  directed 
as  to  force  them  to  fall  back,  and  our  riflemen,  with  the  cavalry  and 
howitzers  cleared  after  an  obstinate  resistance.  Our  forces  advanced 
to  the  very  brink  of  their  redoubts,  and  attacked  them  with  their 
sabres.  When  the  redoubts  were  cleared,  and  the  batteries  in  the 
centre  and  on  our  left  were  silenced,  the  main  battery  on  our  right  still 
continued  to  pour  in  a  constant  and  heavy  fire  as  it  had  done  during 
the  heat  of  the  engagement,  but  as  the  whole  fate  of  the  battle  de 
pended  upon  carrying  the  redoubts  and  centre  battery,  this  one  on  the 
right  remained  unattacked,  and  the  enemy  had  rallied  there  five  hun 
dred  strong. 

Major  Clarke  was  directed  to  commence  a  heavy  fire  upon  it, 
while  Lieutenant-Colonels  Mitchell  and  Jackson,  commanding  the 
first  battalion,  were  ordered  to  remount  and  charge  the  battery  on  the 
left,  while  Major  Gilpin  was  directed  to  pass  the  second  battalion 
on  foot  up  the  rough  ascent  of  the  mountain  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  fire  of  our  battery  was  so  effective,  as  to  completely  silence 
theirs,  and  the  rapid  advance  of  our  column  put  them  to  flight  over 
to  the  mountains  in  great  confusion. 

Captain  Thompson  of  the  first  dragoons  acted  as  my  aid  and 
adviser  on  the  field  during  the  whole  engagement,  and  was  of  the 
most  essential  service  to  me  ;  also  Lieutenant  Wooster  of  the  United 
States  army,  who  acted  very  coolly  and  gallantly.  Major  Campbell, 
of  Springfield,  Missouri,  also  acted  as  a  volunteer  aid  during  part  of 
the  time,  but  left  me  and  joined  Captain  Reid  in  his  gallant  charge. 
Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Sacramento.  The  force  of  the  enemy  was 
twelve  hundred  cavalry  from  Durango  and  Chihuahua,  with  the 
Vera  Cruz  dragoons,  twelve  hundred  infantry  from  Chihuahua,  three 
hundred  artillerists,  and  fourteen  hundred  and  twenty  rancheros, 
badly  armed  with  lassos,  lances,  and  machitoes,  or  com  knives ; 
ten  pieces  of  artillery,  two  nine,  two  eight,  four  six,  and  two  four 
pounders,  and  six  culverins  or  rampart  pieces.  Their  forces  were 
commanded  by  Major-General  llendea,  general  of  Durango, 
Chihuahua,  Sonora,  and  New  Mexico ;  Brigadier-General  Jastimani, 
Brigadier-General  Garcia  Conde,  formerly  minister  of  war  for  the 
republic  of  Mexico,  who  is  a  scientific  man,  and  planned  this  whole 
field  of  defence ;  General  Uguerte,  and  Governor  Trias,  who  acted 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  153 

as  a  brigadier-general  on  the  field,  and  colonels  and  other  officers 
without  number. 

Our  force  was  nine  hundred  and  twenty-four  effective  men,  at 
least  one  hundred  of  whom  were  engaged  in  holding  horses  and 
driving  teams.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  was  his  entire  artillery,  ten 
wagons,  masses  of  beans  and  pinola,  and  other  Mexican  provisions, 
about  three  hundred  killed,  and  about  the  same  number  wounded, 
many  of  whom  have  since  died,  and  forty  prisoners. 

The  field  was  literally  covered  with  the  dead  and  wounded  from 
our  artillery,  and  the  unerring  fire  of  our  riflemen.  Night  put  a  stop 
to  the  carnage,  the  battle  having  commenced  about  three  o'clock. 
Our  loss  was  one  killed,  one  mortally  wounded,  and  seven  so 
wounded  as  to  recover  without  any  loss  of  limbs.  I  cannot  speak 
too  highly  of  the  coolness,  gallantry,  and  bravery  of  the  officers  and 
men  under  my  command. 

I  was  ably  sustained  by  the  field  officers  Lieutenant- Colonels 
Mitchell  and  Jackson  of  the  first  battalion,  and  Major  Gilpin  of  the 
second  battalion.  Major  Clarke  and  his  artillery  acted  nobly,  and 
did  the  most  effective  service  in  every  part  of  the  field.  It  is  abun 
dantly  shown  in  the  charge  made  by  Captain  Weightrnan  with  the  sec 
tion  of  howitzers,  that  they  can  be  used  in  any  charge  of  cavalry  with 
great  effect.  Much  has  been  said,  and  justly  said,  of  the  gallantry  of  our 
artillery  unlimbering  within  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  enemy 
at  Palo  Alto  ;  but  how  much  more  daring  was  the  charge  of  Captain 
Weightman,  when  he  unlimbered  within  fifty  yards  of  the  redoubts 
of  the  enemy. 

On  the  1st  day  of  March  we  took  formal  possession  of  the  capital 
of  Chihuahua  in  the  name  of  our  government.  We  were  ordered 
by  General  Kearney  to  report  to  General  Wool  at  this  place.  Since 
our  arrival  we  hear  he  is  at  Saltillo,  surrounded  by  the  enemy.  Our 
present  purpose  is  either  to  force  our  way  to  him,  or  to  return  by 
Rexar,  as  our  term  of  service  expires  on  the  last  day  of  May  next. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.   W.  DOMPHAN, 
Colonel  1st  Regt.  Mo.  Vol. 
Brig.  Gen.  R.  JONES,  Acljt.  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

20 


154         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

The  following  is  a  translation  of  Colonel  Doniphan's  proclamation 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  newly  conquered  province. 


PROCLAMATION, 

Of  the  Commander 'in-chief  of  the  North  American  forces  in  Chihuahua. 

The  Commander-in-chief  of  the  American  forces  in  Chihuahua 
announces  to  all  the  citizens  of  that  state,  that  he  has  taken  military 
possession  of  the  capital,  and  has  the  pleasure  of  assuring  them  that 
in  it  complete  tranquillity  exists. 

He  invites  all  the  citizens  to  return  to  their  houses,  and  continue 
in  their  ordinary  occupations,  promising  to  them  security  of  person, 
property,  and  religion. 

He  declares  also  in  the  name  of  his  government,  that  having  taken 
possession  of  the  capital  since  he  conquered  the  forces  of  the  state, 
he  holds  possession  of  the  whole  state. 

He  invites  all  the  citizens,  pueblos,  and  rancheros  to  continue 
their  trade,  coming  to  this  capital  to  buy  and  sell  just  as  they  did 
before  recent  occurrences,  for  no  one  will  be  molested  or  annoyed 
in  any  thing,  as  he  before  has  explained ;  that  the  property  of  each 
person  will  be  respected,  and  that  in  case  the  troops  of  his  command 
need  any  thing,  the  value  of  it  will  be  paid  at  its  just  price  with  all 
punctuality. 

He  pledges  himself  in  like  manner  that  the  American  troops  will 
punish  promptly  every  excess  committed  either  by  the  savage  Indians 
or  any  other  individuals. 

He  again  assures  all  good  citizens,  that  we  war  only  against  the 
army,  and  not  against  individual  citizens  who  are  unarmed.  For 
this  we  exact  only,  not  that  any  Mexican  should  take  up  arms 
against  his  country,  but  that  in  case  of  actual  war  he  should  remain 
neutral ;  for  it  must  not,  on  the  contrary,  be  expected  that  we  shall 
respect  the  rights  of  those  who  take  up  arms  against  our  views. 

ALEXANDER  W.  DONIPHAN, 

General-in-Chief. 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  155 

The  following  letter  defines  the  instructions  of  the  colonel,  as  well 
as  his  situation  after  the  action  of  Sacramento. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY  mr  CHIHUAHUA, 

City  of  Chihuahua,  March  Wth,  1847. 

SIR  : — The  forces  under  my  command  are  a  portion  of  the  Missouri 
volunteers,  called  into  service  for  the  purpose  of  invading  New 
Mexico,  under  the  command  of  Brigadier-General  Kearney.  After 
the  conquest  of  New  Mexico,  and  before  General  Kearney's  departure 
for  California,  information  was  received  that  another  regiment,  and 
an  extra  battalion  of  Missouri  volunteers,  would  follow  us  to  Santa 
Fe.  The  service  of  so  large  a  force  being  wholly  unnecessary  in 
that  state,  I  prevailed  on  General  Kearney  to  order  my  regiment  to 
report  to  you  at  this  city.  The  order  was  given  on  the  23d  of  Sep 
tember,  1846,  but  after  the  general  arrived  at  La  Juga,  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  state,  he  issued  an  order  requiring  my  regiment 
to  make  a  campaign  into  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Navejo  Indians, 
lying  between  the  waters  of  the  Rio  del  Norte  and  the  Rio  Colorado 
of  the  west.  This  campaign  detained  me  until  the  14th  of  Decem 
ber,  before  our  return  to  the  Del  Norte.  We  immediately  com 
menced  our  march  for  El  Paso  del  Norte,  with  about  eight  hundred 
riflemen.  All  communications  between  Chihuahua  and  New  Mexico 
were  entirely  prevented.  On  the  25th  of  December,  1846,  my 
van-guard  was  attacked  at  Brazito  by  the  Mexican  forces  from  this 
state.  Our  force  was  about  four  hundred  and  fifty,  and  the  force  of 
the  enemy  eleven  hundred.  The  engagement  lasted  about  forty 
minutes,  when  the  enemy  fled,  leaving  sixty-three  killed  and  since 
dead,  one  hundred  and  fifty  wounded,  and  one  howitzer,  the  only 
piece  of  artillery  in  the  engagement  on  either  side.  On  the  29th 
we  entered  El  Paso  without  further  opposition,  and  from  the  prisoners 
and  others  I  learned  that  you  had  not  marched  upon  this  state.  I 
then  determined  to  order  a  battery  and  a  hundred  artillerists  from 
New  Mexico.  They  arrived  at  El  Paso  on  the  5th  of  February, 
when  we  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  this  place.  A  copy  of  my 
official  report  of  the  battle  of  Sacramento,  enclosed  to  you,  will  show 
you  all  our  subsequent  movements  up  to  our  taking  military  posses 
sion  of  this  capital.  The  day  of  my  arrival  I  had  determined  to 
send  an  express  to  you  forthwith,  but  the  whole  intermediate  country 


156  LIFF,  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  we  were  cut  off,  and  had  been 
for  many  months,  from  all  information  respecting  the  American  army. 
Mexican  reports  are  never  to  be  fully  credited,  yet  from  all  we  could 
learn,  we  did  not  doubt  that  you  would  be  forced  by  overwhelming 
numbers  to  abandon  Saltillo,  and  of  course  we  could  send  no  express 
under  such  circumstances.  On  yesterday  we  received  the  first  even 
tolerably  reliable  information,  that  a  battle  had  been  fought  near 
Saltillo  between  the  American  and  Mexican  forces,  and  that  Santa 
Anna  had  probably  fallen  back  on  San  Louis  de  Potosi. 

My  position  here  is  exceedingly  embarrassing.  In  the  first  place, 
most  of  the  men  under  my  command  have  been  in  service  since  the 
1  st  of  June,  and  have  never  received  one  cent  of  pay.  Their  marches 
have  been  hard,  especially  in  the  Navajo  country,  and  no  forage ; 
so  that  they  are  literally  without  horses,  clothes,  or  money — nothing 
but  arms  and  a  disposition  to  use  them.  They  are  all  volunteers, 
officers  and  men,  and  although  ready  for  any  hardships  or  danger, 
are  wholly  unfit  to  garrison  a  town  or  city.  "  It  is  confusion,  worse 
confounded."  Having  performed  a  march  of  more  than  two  thou 
sand  miles,  and  their  term  of  service  rapidly  expiring,  they  are  restless 
to  join  the  army  under  your  command.  Still  we  cannot  leave  this 
point  safely  for  some  days — the  American  merchants  here  oppose 
it  violently,  and  have  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  at  stake. 
They  have  sent  me  a  memorial,  and  my  determination  has  been 
made  known  to  them.  A  copy  of  both  they  will  send  you.  Of 
one  thing  it  is  necessary  to  inform  you.  The  merchants  admit  that 
their  goods  could  not  be  sold  here  in  five  years :  if  they  go  south 
they  will  be  as  near  to  the  markets  of  Durango  and  Zacatecas  as 
they  now  are.  I  am  anxious  and  willing  to  protect  the  merchants 
as  far  as  practicable,  but  I  protest  against  remaining  here  as  a  mere 
wagon  guard,  to  garrison  a  city  with  troops  wholly  unfitted  for  it, 
and  who  will  soon  be  wholly  ruined  by  improper  indulgences.  Hav 
ing  been  originally  ordered  to  this  point,  you  know  the  wishes  of  the 
government  in  relation  to  it,  and  of  course  your  orders  will  bo 
promptly  and  cheerfully  obeyed.  I  fear  there  is  ample  use  for  us 
with  you,  and  we  would  greatly  prefer  joining  you  before  our  term 
of  service  expires. 

All  information  relative  to  my  previous  operations,  present  con- 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  157 

dition,  &e.,  will  be  given  you  by  Mr.  J.  Collins,  the  bearer  of  these 
despatches.  He  is  a  highly  honorable  gentleman,  and  was  an 
amateur  soldier  at  Sacramento. 

The  Mexicans  report  your  last  battle  as  having  been  highly 
favorable  to  themselves,  but  taking  it  for  granted  that  they  never 
report  the  truth,  we  have  fired  a  salute  for  our  victory,  in  honor  of 
yourself  and  General  Taylor,  presuming  from  report  that  you  were 
both  present. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

A.  W.  DONIPHAN, 

Comd'g  1st  Regt.  Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers. 
Brig.  Gen.  WOOL,  U.  S.  A. 

The  following  excellent  remarks  upon  this  expedition  of  Colonel 
Doniphan,  we  copy  from  the  New  York  Evening  Post.  When  all 
the  circumstances  are  carefully  weighed,  we  think  the  eulogy  will 
be  considered  as  very  little  overwrought. 

XENOPHON  AND  DONIPHAN. — These  are  the  names  of  two  mili- 
ary  commanders  who  have  made  the  most  extraordinary  marches, 
known  in  the  annals  of  the  warfare  of  their  times.  Colonel  Xeno- 
phon,  as,  in  modern  phrase,  he  has  justly  a  right  to  be  called,  lived 
about  one  hundred  years  earlier  than  the  Christian  era.  Born  in 
Greece,  and  educated  under  Socrates  as  a  favorite  pupil,  he,  at  the 
age  of  nearly  forty  years,  joined  a  regiment  of  Greeks  who  had 
enlisted  under  Cyrus  the  younger,  for  a  campaign,  as  it  was  pre 
tended,  against  the  Pisidians,  but  in  reality  against  Persia,  as  the 
Greeks  soon  discovered  after  their  march  had  begun.  The  object 
of  Cyrus,  as  our  readers  well  know,  was  to  dethrone  his  brother, 
the  king  of  Persia.  After  a  long  march  through  Asia  Minor,  Syria, 
and  the  sandy  tract  east  of  the  Euphrates,  the  two  brothers  met  at 
Cunaxa,  not  far  from  Babylon.  Cyrus  fell  in  the  almost  bloodless 
battle  that  ensued,  his  baibarian  troops  were  discouraged  and  dis 
persed,  and  the  Greeks  were  left  alone  in  the  centre  of  the  Persian 
empire.  The  Greek  officers  were  soon  massacred  by  the  treachery 
of  the  Persians.  Xenophon  stepped  forward,  and  soon  became 
one  of  the  most  active  leaders,  and  under  his  judicious  guidance 
the  Greeks  effected  their  retreat  northward  across  the  high  lands  of 


158        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Armenia,  and  arrived  at  Trebisond,  on  the  southeast  coast  of  the 
Black  Sea. 

From  thence  they  proceeded  to  Chrysopolis,  opposite  Constanti 
nople.  Both  Colonel  Xenophon  and  the  regiment,  consisting  of  about 
five  hundred  men,  were  greatly  distressed,  having  lost  almost  every 
thing  excepting  their  lives  and  their  arms.  The  length  of  the  entire 
march  of  the  Greek  force,  as  nearly  as  we  can  now  estimate  it, 
was  three  thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty-five  English  miles.  It 
was  accomplished  in  fifteen  months,  and  a  large  part  of  it  through 
an  unknown,  mountainous,  and  hostile  country,  and  in  an  inclement 
season.  The  history  of  this  march  has  survived  the  ravages  of  two 
thousand  years,  and  as  one  of  the  best  productions  of  a  Greek 
scholar,  is  now  used  as  a  text  book  in  our  schools. 

Turning  now  to  the  wonderful  march  of  Colonel  Doniphan,  we 
find  the  first  regiment  of  Missouri  mounted  volunteers  mustered 
into  the  service  of  the  United  States  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  on  the 
6th  of  June,  last  year,  and  on  the  22d  of  the  same  month  they  com 
menced  their  march  across  the  plains  for  Mexico.  After  a  march 
of  fifty-seven  days  duration  they  entered  Santa  Fe.  On  the  16th 
of  the  present  month,  we  find  this  regiment  at  New  Orleans,  about 
to  be  discharged,  as  their  enlistment  for  a  year  was  nearly  expired. 
In  the  mean  time  this  body  of  men  had  fought  three  battles,  viz : 
Brazito,  Sacramento,  and  El  Paso.  That  of  Brazito  was  on  Christ 
mas  day,  and  opened  an  entrance  into  El  Paso  del  Norte.  The 
Mexicans  had  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  one  piece  of  artil 
lery  ;  the  Americans  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  infantry ;  the 
piece  of  cannon  was  captured,  and  the  Mexican  army  entirely  de 
stroyed.  That  of  Sacramento  was  fought  on  the  28th  of  February. 
This  battle — one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  war,  is  familiar 
through  the  reports  of  Colonel  Doniphan  and  other  field  officers. 
The  battle  of  El  Paso  was  fought  about  the  13th  of  May,  by  the 
advanced  guard  under  Captain  Reid  ;  the  Americans  had  twenty- 
five  men,  and  the  Camanches  sixty-five.  The  Indians  were  routed, 
and  left  seventeen  bodies  on  the  field.  Three  hundred  and  fifty 
head  of  cattle,  twenty-five  Mexican  prisoners,  and  a  great  deal  of 
Mexican  plunder  were  captured. 

The  battle  of  Sacramento  lasted  three  hours  and  a  half,  and  the 


NEW  MEXICO  AND  CALIFORNIA.  159 

slaughter  of  the  Mexican  army  continued  until  night  put  an  end  to 
the  chase.  The  men  returned  to  the  battle  field  after  dark,  com 
pletely  worn  out  and  exhausted  with  fatigue.  The  Mexicans 
lost  three  hundred  men  killed  on  the  field,  and  a  large  number  of 
wounded,  perhaps  four  hundred  or  five  hundred,  and  sixty  or 
seventy  prisoners,  together  with  a  vast  quantity  of  provisions,  seve 
ral  thousand  dollars  in  money,  fifty  thousand  head  of  sheep,  fifteen 
hundred  head  of  cattle,  one  hundred  mules,  twenty  wagons,  twenty 
or  thirty  carts,  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  of  ammunition,  eleven 
pieces  of  cannon,  mostly  brass  six  pounders,  six  wall  pieces,  one 
hundred  stand  of  arms,  one  hundred  stand  of  colors,  and  many  other 
things  of  less  note. 

This  body  of  men  conquered  the  states  of  New  Mexico  and  Chi 
huahua,  and  traversed  Durango  and  New  Leon.  In  this  march 
they  travelled  more  than  six  thousand  miles,  consuming  twelve 
months.  During  all  this  time  not  one  word  of  information  reached 
them  from  the  government,  nor  any  order  whatsoever ;  they  neither 
received  any  supplies  of  any  kind,  or  one  cent  of  pay.  They  lived 
exclusively  on  the  country  through  which  they  passed,  and  sup 
plied  themselves  with  powder  and  balls  by  capturing  them  from  the 
enemy.  From  Chihuahua  to  Matamoras,  a  distance  of  nine  hun 
dred  miles,  they  marched  in  forty-five  days,  bringing  with  them 
seventeen  pieces  of  heavy  artillery  as  trophies. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  in  many  very  important  particulars  these 
two  expeditions  differ  from  each  other.  One  was  the  march  of  a 
conqueror,  the  other  was  the  retreat  of  an  inferior  force.  One  was 
made  on  horseback,  and  the  other  on  foot,  and  at  an  inclement  sea 
son  of  the  year.  One  was  made  at  an  early  age  of  the  world, 
when  military  science  was  undeveloped,  the  other  was  made  with 
all  the  advantages  of  modern  improvements.  But  our  object  is  not 
so  much  to  draw  a  comparison  between  these  two  expeditions  as  to 
notice  the  circumstance  that  these  two  men,  whose  names  are  in 
sound  so  similar,  have  each  performed  the  most  wonderful  march  in 
the  annals  of  warfare.  If  Colonel  Doniphan  will  now  imitate  the 
example  of  Colonel  Xenophon,  and  give  to  the  world  as  charming 
and  as  perfect  a  history  of  his  expedition  as  the  latter  has  done, 
mankind  two  thousand  years  hence,  will  admire  and  honor  him. 


160 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


Such  is  the  rapid  and  able  sketch  of  this  famous  march,  as  given 
in  the  paper  above  quoted.  The  grand  outline  is  readily  filled  up 
by  the  imagination  of  the  reader.  The  long,  long  days  of  weary 
marching — the  earnest  longing  for  the  sight  of  an  enemy — the  fierce 
encounter,  hand  to  hand — the  rout  and  flight  of  the  enemy — the 
rejoicing  of  the  conquerors  over  captured  posts  and  cities — the  suf 
ferings  of  the  wounded  on  the  toilsome  march — the  hunger  and 
thirst  of  their  progress  over  desolate  mountains  and  arid  plains  ; — 
these  form  the  light  and  shadow  and  the  coloring  of  this  grand  his 
torical  picture. 


\ 


/    •/•'!'•'    /; 


mm!!* 


t^lt  JlffS 
^1lp$j 


CHAPTER  IX. 


T  the  time  when  tlie  important  opera 
tions  recorded  in  the  last  chapter  were 
in  progress,  events  scarcely  less  im 
portant  had  been  transpiring  at  the 
capital  of  Mexico.  As  is  ever  the  case 
with  a  revolutionary  people,  the  ill 
success  of  their  forces  on  the  Rio 
Grande,  had  been  attributed  to  the  in 
tentional  fault  of  the  rulers  ;  and  the 
same  party  who  had  been  instrumental 
in  the  promotion  of  General  Paredes  to  the  presidential  dignity,  now 
clamored  loudly  for  his  removal.  Mexico  presented  a  scene  of 

21  161 


163  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

disorder  and  anarchy,  and  amid  the  chaotic  mass  of  revolutions, 
the  president  was  hurried  from  his  office  to  give  place  to  his  success 
ful  opponent  Jose  Mariano  de  Salas.  Paredes  advanced  toward 
Queretaro,  accompanied  by  fifty  lancers,  and  a  few  military  friends  ; 
but  on  his  way  he  was  intercepted,  by  a  detatchment  of  five  hundred 
troops,  and  conveyed  as  a  prisoner  to  the  castle  of  Perote.  While 


General    Santa    Anna. 

at  t!uj  capital  his  situation  was  not  at  all  enviable  ;  many  were 
desirous  of  having  him  executed  as  a  traitor,  and  but  for  the  inter 
ference  of  General  Salas,  who  subsequently  referred  his  case  lo 
Santa  Anna,  this  would  probably  have  been  done.  The  ex-president 
subsequently  escaped,  and  fled  to  Havana. 

This  state  of  things  seems  lo  have  been  only  the  harbinger  of  a 
more  important  movement,  whose  object  was  to  restore  to  favor  one, 
who,  although  he  had  long  been  known  only  as  a  doomed  and 


GENERAL  TAYLOR  AT  MONTEREY.      163 

exiled  traitor,  yet  now  seems  to  have  inspired  a  great  majority  of 
the  Mexican  people  with  the  utmost  confidence  and  enthusiasm 
towards  him.  This  was  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna.  He  was  recalled 
to  Mexico,  soon  after  the  active  operations  on  the  Rio  Grande,  and 
landed  in  Vera  Cruz  on  the  16th  of  August,  notwithstanding  that 
port  was  then  blockaded  by  the  American  Gulf  squadron  under 
Commodore  Conner.  He  was  here  welcomed  by  the  two  sons  of 
Salas,  who  had  been  sent  by  the  president,  expressly  to  welcome  him. 
Salas  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Santa  Anna,  and  declared  that  he 
held  the  government  only  as  his  representative. 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  this  celebrated  character,  Salas  issued  a 
proclamation  commanding  Congress  to  convene,  on  the  6lh  of  Decem 
ber,  in  order  to  re-establish  the  old  Constitution  of  1824,  and  affirm 
ing  that  constitution  to  be  in  the  meanwhile  in  operation. 

While  at  Vera  Cruz,  Santa  Anna  published  an  address  to  the 
people  of  Mexico,  dated  August  16th,  in  which  he  expatiated  at  large 
on  his  former  excellent  government,  the  miseries  brought  on  by 
misrule  since  his  banishment,  the  plans  he  intended  to  pursue  for 
the  purpose  of  national  regeneration  ;  the  whole  concluded  with 
enthusiastic  appeals  to  Mexican  pride  and  patriotism.  This  address 
was  conceived  in  good  style,  and  is  far  more  temperate,  both  in 
thought  and  language,  than  most  Mexican  proclamations.  Some 
time  after  the  issue  of  this  paper,  its  author  remained  at  his  hacienda, 
near  Vera  Cruz,  in  order  to  recruit  his  health.  He  left  in  Septem 
ber  for  the  capital,  and  on  the  14lh  reached  Ayotla,  a  small  town 
within  about  forty  miles  of  Mexico.  Here  he  received  a  communica 
tion  from  Almonte,  the  ad  interim  secretary  of  war,  proposing  to 
him  the  supreme  executive  power  or  dictatorship,  in  the  name  of  the 
provisional  government  of  Salas. 

We  insert  the  reply  in  full,  as  it  exhibits  not  only  the  character 
of  the  man,  but  also  the  popular  feeling  toward  the  United  States. 

General  SAXTA   AXXA,   Commander-in-chief  of  the    Liberating  Army,  to 
General  ALMOXTE,  Minister  of  War  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico. 

Ayotla,  1  o'clock  A.  M.,  Sept.  14th,  1846. 

SIR  : — I  have  received  your  favor  of  this  date,  acknowledging  a 
decree  issued  by  the  supreme  government  of  the  nation,  embracing 
a  programme  of  the  proceedings  adopted  to  regulate  a  due  celebration 


164         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

of  the  re-establishment  of  the  constitution  of  1824  ;  the  assumption 
by  myself  of  the  supreme  executive  power,  and  the  anniversary  of 
the  glorious  cry  of  Dolores. 

My  satisfaction  is  extreme  to  observe  the  enthusiasm  with  which 
preparations  are  made,  to  celebrate  the  two  great  blessings  which 
have  fallen  upon  this  nation — her  independence  and  her  liberty  ;  and 
I  am  penetrated  with  the  deepest  gratitude  to  find  that  my  arrival  at 
the  capital  will  be  made  to  contribute  to  the  solemnities  of  so  great  an 
occasion.  In  furtherance  of  this  subject,  I  shall  make  my  entry  into 
the  city  to-morrow,  at  mid-day,  and  desire  in  contributing  my  share 
to  the  national  jubilee,  to  observe  such  a  course  as  shall  best  accord 
with  my  duties  to  my  country — beloved  of  my  heart — and  with  the 
respect  due  to  the  will  of  the  sovereign  people. 

I  have  been  called  by  the  voice  of  my  fellow  citizens,  to  exercise 
die  office  of  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  of  the  republic.  I  was 
far  from  my  native  land  when  intelligence  of  this  renewed  confidence, 
and  of  these  new  obligations  imposed  upon  me  by  my  country, 
was  brought  to  me,  and  I  saw  the  imminent  dangers  which  sur 
rounded  her  on  all  sides,  and  which  formed  the  chief  motive  for 
calling  me  to  the  head  of  the  army.  I  now  see  a  terrible  contest 
with  a  perfidious  and  daring  enemy  impending  over  her,  in  which 
the  Mexican  republic  must  reconquer  the  insignia  of  her  glory,  and 
a  fortunate  issue  if  victorious,  or  disappear  from  the  face  of  the  earth 
if  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  defeated.  I  also  see  a  treacherous  faction 
raising  its  head  from  her  bosom,  which  in  calling  up  a  form  of 
government  detested  by  the  united  nation,  provokes  a  preferable  sub 
mission  to  foreign  dominion ;  and  I  behold  at  last,  that  after  much 
vacillation,  that  nation  is  resolved  to  establish  her  right  to  act  for 
herself,  and  to  arrange  such  a  form  of  government  as  best  suits  her 
wishes. 

All  this  I  have  observed,  and  turned  a  listening  ear  to  the  cry  of 
my  desolated  country,  satisfied  that  she  really  needed  my  weak  ser 
vices  at  so  important  a  period.  Hence  I  have  come  without  hesita 
tion  or  delay  to  place  myself,  in  subjection  to  her  will,  and,  desirous 
to  be  perfectly  understood  upon  reaching  my  native  soil  I  gave  a  full 
and  public  expression  of  my  sentiments  and  principles.  The  recep 
tion  which  they  met  convinced  me  that  I  had  not  deceived  myself, 


GENERAL  TAYLOR  AT  MONTEREY.      165 

and  I  am  now  the  more  confirmed  in  them,  not  from  having  given 
them  more  consideration,  but  because  they  have  found  a  general  echo 
in  the  hearts  of  my  fellow  citizens. 

I  come  then  to  carry  my  views  into  operation,  and  in  compliance 
with  the  mandate  of  my  country.  She  calls  me  as  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  army,  and  in  that  capacity  I  stand  ready  to  serve.  The 
enemy  occupies  our  harbors — he  is  despoiling  us  of  the  richest  of 
our  territories,  and  threatens  us  with  his  domination.  I  go  then  to 
the  head  of  the  Mexican  army,  an  army  the  offspring  of  a  free 
people — and  joined  with  it  I  will  fulfil  my  utmost  duty  in  opposing 
the  enemy  of  my  country.  I  will  die  fighting,  or  lead  the  valiant 
Mexicans  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  triumph  to  which  they  are  alike  en 
titled  by  justice,  by  their  warlike  character,  and  by  the  dignity  and 
enthusiasm  which  they  have  preserved  of  a  free  nation.  The  war 
is  a  necessity  of  immediate  importance ;  every  day's  delay  is  an  age 
of  infamy ;  I  cannot  recede  from  the  position  which  the  nation  has 
assigned  me  ;  I  must  go  forward  unless  I  would  draw  upon  myself 
the  censure  due  to  ingratitude  for  the  favors  with  which  I  have  been 
overwhelmed  by  my  fellow  citizens  ;  or,  unless  I  would  behold  her 
humbled,  and  suffering  under  a  perpetuation  of  her  misfortunes. 

Your  excellency  will  at  once  perceive  how  great  an  error  I  should 
commit  in  assuming  the  supreme  magistracy,  when  my  duty  calls 
me  to  the  field  to  fight  against  the  enemies  of  the  republic. 

I  should  disgrace  myself  if,  when  called  to  the  point  of  danger  I 
should  spring  to  that  of  power !  Neither  my  loyalty  nor  my  honor 
requires  the  abandonment  of  interests  so  dear  to  me.  The  single 
motive  of  my  heart  is  to  offer  my  compatriots  the  sacrifice  of  that 
blood  which  yet  runs  in  my  veins.  I  wish  them  to  know  that  I 
consecrate  myself  entirely  to  their  service,  as  a  soldier  ought  to  do, 
and  am  only  further  desirous  to  be  permitted  to  point  out  the  course 
by  which  Mexico  may  attain  the  rank  to  which  her  destinies  call 
her. 

In  marching  against  the  enemy,  and  declining  to  accept  of  power, 
I  give  a  proof  of  the  sincerity  of  my  sentiments  ;  leaving  the  nation 
her  own  mistress,  at  liberty  to  dispose  of  herself  as  she  sees  fit.  The 
elections  for  members  of  congress  to  form  the  constitution  which  the 
people  wish  to  adopt,  arc  proceeding.  That  congress  will  now  soon 


166  LIFE  OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

convene,  and  while  I  shall  be  engaged  in  the  conflict,  in  armed  de 
fence  of  her  independence,  the  nation  will  place  such  safeguards  around 
her  liberties  as  may  best  suit  herself. 

If  I  should  permit  myself  for  a  single  moment  to  take  the  reins  of 
government,  the  sincerity  of  my  promises  will  be  rendered  question 
able,  and  no  confidence  could  be  placed  in  them. 

I  am  resolved  that  they  shall  not  be  falsified,  for  in  their  redemp 
tion  I  behold  the  general  good,  as  well  as  my  honor  as  a  Mexican  and 
a  soldier:  I  cannot  abandon  this  position.  The  existing  government 
has-  pursued  a  course  with  which  the  nation  has  shown  itself  content, 
and  I  have  no  desire  to  subvert  it  by  taking  its  place.  I  feel  abun 
dant  pleasure  in  remaining  where  I  am,  and  flatter  myself  that  the 
nation  will  applaud  my  choice.  I  shall  joyfully  accept  such  tasks 
as  she  shall  continue  to  impose  upon  me ;  and  while  she  is  engaged 
in  promoting  the  objects  of  civilization,  I  will  brave  every  da  'ger  in 
supporting  its  benefit  even  at  the  cost  of  my  existence. 

Will  your  excellency  have  the  goodness  to  tender  to  the  supreme 
government  rny  sincere  thanks  for  their  kindness  ?  I  will  personally 
repeat  them  to-morrow,  for  which  purpose  I  propose  to  call  at  the 
palace.  I  shall  there  embrace  my  friends,  and  hastily  pressing  them 
to  my  heart  bid  them  a  tender  farewell,  and  set  out  for  the  scene  of 
war,  to  lend  my  aid  to  serve  my  country,  or  to  perish  among  the 
ruins. 

I  beg  to  continue  to  your  excellency  assurances  of  my  continued 
and  especial  esteem. 

ANTONIO  LOPEZ  DE  SANTA  ANNA. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  the  new  dictator  entered  the  capital 
amid  the  wildest  demonstrations  of  popular  enthusiasm.  The  people 
regarded  him  as  their  saviour,  perfectly  invincible  in  battle,  and 
manifested  the  most  unbounded  attachment  and  veneration  to  his 
person,  and  his  health  was  universally  drank  in  full  flowing  cups. 

He  immediately  commenced  arranging  a  plan  of  extensive  opera 
tions  to  raise  money  and  forces  for  the  conduct  of  the  war.  Previous 
to  this,  the  following  decrees  had  been  circulated  by  General  Salas 
in  every  part  of  Mexico,  with  a  view  of  furthering  the  same  object: 

Decrees  (in  substance)  of  August  28. —  1.  Declaring  that  all 
Mexicans  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  fifty  years  were  under 


GENERAL  TAYLOR  AT  MONTEREY. 


167 


Mexicans    Drinking   Santa   Anna's  Health. 

obligations  to  take  up  arms  in  defence  of  their  country,  whenever  re 
quired  to  do  so. 

2.  Declaring  free  from  import  duty  for  one  year,  the  importation 
into  any  part  of  the  republic,  as  well  as  the  sale  in  it,  of  muskets, 
carbines,  sabres,  brass  and  iron  cannon,  with  gun  carriages,  and  in 
general,  every  species  of  warlike  arms  and  projectiles ;  and  declaring 
that  the  government  will  purchase  such  quantity  of  the  arms  and 
projectiles  referred  to,  as  it  may  require,  and  at  such  prices  as  may 
be  agreed  upon  by  the  importer  or  holders. 

3.  Declaring  an  extraordinary  contingent  of  30,000  men,  to  be 
contributed  by  the  several  states. 

4.  Giving  pardon  to  all  who  may  have  deserted  from  the  regular 
army,  provided  that  they  give  themselves  up  within  three  months, 
and  permitting  them  to  serve  in  such  corps  as  they  may  select. 

Decree  of  August  3lsJ,  issued  through  the  department  of  state, 
Declaring  that  all  officers  in  civil  or  military  employment,  who  shall 
refuse,  without  good  cause  in  the  opinion  of  the  government,  to 
render  such  services  as  may  be  required  of  them  during  the  war  in 
which  the  republic  is  at  present  engaged,  shall  be  dismissed  from 


168  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

their  employments,  and  declared  incapable  of  being  employed  here 
after  as  military  officers ;  being  liable,  moreover,  to  the  punishment 
already  provided  by  law  for  such  offences  as  they  may  have  com 
mitted. 

The  people  hailed  these  decrees  with  enthusiasm,  and  troops 
and  provisions  poured  into  San  Luis  so  abundantly  that  the  Dictator 
soon  found  himself  at  the  head  of  nearly  twenty  thousand  men. 
"  The  magazines  of  powder,"  says  a  Mexican  paper,  "  and  the 
stores  of  balls  and  other  missiles,  are  said  to  exceed  belief.  Every 
piece  of  iron  that  could  be  found,  is  converted  into  pikes  or  other 
deadly  weapons.  In  one  storehouse  alone  there  are  two  hundred 
mechanics  working  day  and  night,  mounting  guns  and  manufactur 
ing  munitions  of  war.  There  are  five  hundred  more  at  work  on 
the  fortifications,  which  are  being  strengthened  in  every  possible  man 
ner.  One  thousand  women,  filled  with  enthusiasm  in  the  national 
cause,  had  come  down  to  the  camp  from  San  Diego  and  Tlascala  to 
aid  in  making  articles  for  the  soldiers,  and  working  on  the  fortifica 
tions.  In  one  store  there  has  been  sold  sixteen  thousand  daggers, 
bought  by  the  country  people,  both  men  and  women.  In  every 
direction  we  see  them  making  lances,  sharpening  swords,  and  fixing 
fire-arms  and  other  warlike  arrangements." 

As  we  have  stated,  General  Taylor  remained  for  some  time  inac 
tive  at  Monterey  ;  but  upon  learning  the  approach  of  a  formidable 
Mexican  army,  he  fortified  himself  more  securely,  and  made  every 
preparation  for  the  expected  visit.  The  enemy,  however,  not 
appearing,  and  there  being  the  most  pressing  necessity  for  active 
operations,  the  General  formed  the  bold  plan  of  penetrating  further 
into  the  enemy's  country,  and  fighting  him,  if  possible,  on  his  own 
ground. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  the  American  army  left  Monterey, 
and  proceeded  toward  Victoria,  near  which  General  Taylor  expected 
to  find  a  Mexican  force  under  General  Urrea.  On  the  17th,  he  was 
joined  by  the  second  regiment  of  infantry,  and  the  second  Tennes 
see  regiment  of  foot,  who  had  marched  from  Camargo.  At  Mate- 
morelos  he  received  news  from  General  Worth,  that  an  attack  by 
Santa  Anna  was  daily  expected  at  Saltillo  ;  he,  therefore,  fell  back 


GENERAL  TAYLOR  AT  MONTEREY.      169 

on  Monterey,  after  having  despatched  General  Quitman  with  a  field 
battery  to  join  General  Patterson  at  Saltillo. 

General  Wool  now  arrived  at  that  place  with  reinforcements, 
and  the  enemy  retired  toward  San  Luis  Potosi.  General  Taylor 
received  intelligence  of  these  movements  while  on  his  march  to 
Saltillo,  and  immediately  resuming  his  original  plan,  reached  Vic 
toria  on  the  30th. 

While  at  this  place  the  General  received  the  following  letter  from 
Major-General  Scott,  written  before  the  latter  set  out  for  Mexico  ; 
its  object  is  explained  by  the  terms. 

NEW  YORK,  Nov.  25,  1846. 

MY  DEAR  GENERAL  : — I  left  Washington  late  in  the  day  yester 
day,  and  expect  to  embark  for  New  Orleans  the  30th  instant.  By 
the  12th  of  December  I  may  be  in  that  city,  at  Point  Isabel  the 
17th,  and  Camargo.  say  the  23d,  in  order  to  be  within  easy  corres 
ponding  distance  from  you.  It  is  not  probable  that  I  may  be  able 
to  visit  Monterey,  and  circumstances  may  prevent  your  coming  to 
me.  I  shall  much  regret  not  having  an  early  opportunity  of  felici 
tating  you  in  person,  upon  your  many  brilliant  achievements  ;  but 
we  may  meet  somewhere  in  the  interior  of  Mexico. 

I  am  not  coming,  my  dear  General,  to  supersede  you  in  the  im 
mediate  command,  on  the  line  of  operations,  rendered  illustrious  by 
you  and  your  gallant  army.  My  proposed  theatre  is  different.  You 
may  imagine  it ;  and  I  wish  very  much  that  it  were  prudent,  at 
this  distance,  to  tell  you  all  I  expect  to  attempt,  or  hope  to  execute. 
I  have  been  admonished  that  despatches  have  been  lost,  and  I  have  no 
special  messenger  at  hand.  Your  imagination  will  be  aided  by  the 
letters  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  conveyed  by  Mr.  Armistead,  Major 
Graham,  and  Mr.  McLane. 

But,  my  dear  General,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  take  from  you  most 
of  the  gallant  officers  and  men,  (regulars  and  volunteers,)  whom  you 
have  so  long  and  so  nobly  commanded.  I  am  afraid  that  I  shall 
by  imperious  necessity— the  approach  of  yellow  fever  on  the  Gulf 
coast — reduce  you  for  a  while  to  stand  on  the  defensive.  This  will 
be  infinitely  painful  to  you,  and  for  that  reason  distressing  to  me. 
But  I  rely  upon  your  patriotism  to  submit  to  the  temporary  sacrifice 
with  cheerfulness.  No  man  can  better  afford  to  do  so.  Recent 

22 


170  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

victories  place  you  on  that  high  eminence ;  and  I  even  flatter  myself 
that  any  benefit  that  may  result  to  me  personally  from  the  unequal 
division  of  troops  alluded  to,  will  lessen  the  pain  of  your  consequent 
inactivity. 

You  will  be  aware  of  the  recent  call  for  nine  regiments  of  new 
volunteers,  including  one  of  Texas  horse.  The  President  may 
soon  ask  for  many  more,  and  we  are  not  without  hope  that  congress 
may  add  ten  or  twelve  to  the  regular  establishment.  These  by  the 
spring,  say  April,  may  by  the  aid  of  large  bounties,  be  in  the  field, 
should  Mexico  not  earlier  propose  terms  of  accommodation  ;  and  long 
before  the  spring  (March)  it  is  probable  you  will  be  again  in  force, 
to  resume  offensive  operations. 

It  was  not  possible  for  me  to  find  time  to  write  from  Washington, 
as  I  much  desired.  I  only  received  an  intimation  to  hold  myself  in 
preparation  for  Mexico,  on  the  18th  instant.  Much  has  been  done 
towards  that  end,  and  more  remains  to  be  executed. 

Your  detailed  report  of  the  operations  at  Monterey,  and  reply  to 
the  Secretary's  despatch  by  Lieutenant  Armistead,  were  both  received, 
two  days  after  I  was  instructed  to  proceed  south. 
In  haste,  I  remain,  my  dear  General, 
Yours,  faithfully, 

WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

Major-General  Z.  TAYLOR, 
U.  S.  Army,  commanding,  &c. 

General  Scott  had  been  appointed  by  government  to  supersede 
General  Taylor  in  the  command  of  the  army  of  occupation ;  and 
the  troops  required  above,  were  designed  to  co-operate  with  a  land 
and  sea  force,  shortly  to  attack  the  city  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  Cas 
tle  of  San  Juan  D'Ulloa. 

General  Taylor  was  thus  deprived  of  the  services  of  General 
Worth,*  and  of  nearly  all  those  troops  whom  he  had  led  through 

*  Among  those  who  left  General  Taylor  at  this  time,  was  GE^EUAL  WM. 
J.  WORTH,  who  had  acted  so  brilliant  a  part  at  Monterey.  He  was  born  in 
New  York,  and  had  early  the  benefits  of  a  good  education.  When  quite 
young  he  was  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  mercantile  house  in  Albany  ;  but  pos 
sessing  a  passion  for  military  operations  he  entered  the  army  in  the  commence 
ment  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  and  through  the  influence  of  General 
Scott,  he  was  appointed  as  fir^t  lieutenant  of  the  twenty-third  infantry,  on  the 
19th  of  March,  1813. 


GENERAL  TAYLOR  AT  MONTERE\. 


171 


so  many  dangers  and  privations,  and  whose  veteran  brows  were 
surrounded  with  laurels  gathered  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Mata- 
moras,  and  Monterey.  The  parting  must  have  been  affecting ;  and 
the  address  of  the  old  hero  proves  that  he  felt  it  to  be  : — 

"  It  is  with  deep  sensibility  that  the  commanding  general  finds 
himself  separated  from  the  troops   he  so  long   commanded.     To 


General    Taylor   taking    leave   of  the    Vet'erans. 

those  corps,  regular  and  volunteer,  who  have  shared  with  him  the 
active  services  of  the  field,  he  feels  the  attachment  due  to  such 
associations,  while  to  those  who  are  making  their  first  campaign, 
he  must  express  his  regret  that  he  cannot  participate  with  them  in 

At  the  sanguinary  battle  of  Chippewa,  Worth  was  aid  to  General  Scott,  ami 
bore  his  full  share  in  its  toils  and  dangers.  He  was  often  in  the  very  hottest  of 
the  engagement,  and  is  mentioned  with  distinction  in  the  oHicial  report  of  Gen 
eral  Brown,  the  commanding  officer.  His  service  was  rewarded  by  govern 
ment,  and  he  received  a  commission  as  captain  on  the  5th  of  July,  1814,  "  for 
his  gallant  and  distinguished  conduct  on  the  5th  of  July,  in  the  battle  of  Chip 
pewa." 

The  next  important  affair  in  which  Worth  was  engaged,  was  the  battle  of 
Niagara.  In  this  he  behaved  with  the  same  coolness  arid  bravery  which  had 


172  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

its  eventful  scones.  To  all,  both  officers  and  men,  he  extends  his 
heart-felt  wishes  for  their  continued  success  and  happiness,  confi- 

distinguishcd  him  at  Chippewa,  and  like  his  friend  General  Scott,  he  received 
so  severe  a  wound  as  to  disable  him  from  participating  in  the  events  which  fol 
lowed  the  battle.  He  was  rewarded  by  a  second  brevet,  dated  on  the  25th  of 
July,  and  promoting  him  to  the  rank  of  major. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Major  Worth  was  appointed  military  instructor  in 
the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  the  difficult  duties  of  which  station  he 
performed  with  judgment  and  general  satisfaction.  He  was  made  a  brevet 
lieutenant-colonel  25th  July,  1824,  major  of  ordnance  in  1832,  and  on  the 
7th  of  July,  1838,  colonel  of  the  eighth  regiment  of  infantry. 

Like  so  many  brave  officers  of  that  time,  Colonel  Worth  was  ordered  to  Flo 
rida  to  participate  in  the  war  against  the  Seminoles.  Notwithstanding  that 
this  country  was  one  of  the  most  unfavorable  for  the  exercise  of  high  military 
abilities,  Worth  soon  compelled  several  parties  of  the  Indians  to  surrender ; 
and  on  the  19th  of  April,  1842,  he  fought  the  battle  of  Palaklaklaha,  with  a 
large  detachment  of  Indians,  whom  he  defeated,  and  subsequently  obliged  to 
surrender.  This  battle  closes  his  active  duties  in  Florida.  He  had  been  ap 
pointed  brevet  brigadier-general  on  the  1st  of  March,  1842. 

When  Taylor  was  ordered  to  Corpus  Christi,  General  Worth  joined  the 
army  with  him,  and  when  the  Americans  reached  the  Rio  Grande,  he  planted 
with  his  own  hand,  the  national  flag  on  the  river,  within  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  the  Mexican  batteries.  Some  unfortunate  circumstance  having 
happened,  concerning  military  etiquette,  General  Worth  deemed  it  his  duty 
to  resign.  This  he  did,  however,  in  terms  highly  honorable  to  himself,  as  a 
soldier  and  patriot,  assuring  the  commander,  that  although  he  had  little  fear  of 
open  hostilities  with  Mexico,  yet  should  such  occur,  he  would  rejoice  to  have  his 
resignation  withdrawn.  His  letter  concludes  as  follows  : — "  If  there  is  any 
form  or  manner,  in  which  out  of  authority,  I  can  serve  you,  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  say,  with  what  alacrity  I  shall  be  always  at  your  command.  At 
the  earliest  moment  when  you  feel  assured  that  no  conflict  is  at  hand,  or  in 
prospective,  I  shall  be  much  gratified  by  being  allowed  to  retire,  and  not  be 
fore." 

General  Taylor  replied  to  htm  in  a  highly  delicate  and  characteristic  man 
ner,  and  General  Worth  returned  to  the  United  States.  Here  news  of  the 
investment  of  General  Taylor  and  of  the  events  preceding  the  battles  of  the 
8th  and  9th,  disappointed  his  fond  hope  of  peace,  and  he  determined  immedi 
ately  to  rejoin  the  army.  This  intention  was  communicated  to  Adjutant-Gen 
eral  Jones  in  the  following  letter,  dated  May  9th,  6  o'clock,  p.  M.  : 

"Si R: — Reliable  information  which  I  have  this  moment  received  from  the 
head-quarters  of  the  army  in  front  of  Matamoras,  makes  it  not  onlv  my  duty 
but  accords  with  my  inclination  to  request  permission  to  withdraw  my  resigna 
tion,  and  that  I  bo  ordered  or  permitted  forthwith  to  return  to,  and  take  com 
mand  of,  the  troops  from  which  I  was  separated  on  the  7th  of  April,  by  order 
No.  43,  army  of  occupation,  &c.  &c.  &c." 

The  request  of  the  General  was  granted,  and  he  was  ordered  to  proceed 
immediately  to  the  seat  of  war.  He  left  Washington  on  the  llth  of  May, 
and  arrived  at  the  camp  in  time  to  participate  in  the  capture  of  Matamoras. 
His  subsequent  career  is  given  in  the  text. 

It  is  one  great  proof  of  the  talents  of  thi.s  able  soldier,  that  instead  of  hastily 


GENERAL  TAYLOR  AT  MONTEREY. 


173 


dent  that  their  achievements  on  another  theatre  will  redound  to  the 
credit  of  their  country  and  its  arms." 

pushing  his  troops  into  danger  in  order  to  make  up  for  his  late  inactivity,  he 
has  ever  display  oil  the  utmost  judgment  and  regard  for  their  safety.  At  the  bril 
liant  assault  on  the  Bishop's  Palace  at  Monterey,  and  more  latterly  at  Vera 
Cruz,  he  has  won  for  himself  the  character  of  an  officer,  to  whom  in  danger  his 
country  may  look  with  confidence. 

By  the  last  advices  General  Worth  had,  in  company  with  General  Scott, 
advanced  to  the  pass  of  Rio  Frio,  en  route  for  the  city  of  Mexico.  There  is 
little  doubt  that  we  shall  soon  hear  that  he  Las  again  distinguished  himself 
under  his  old  patron. 


CHAPTER  X. 
of 


N  consequence  of  the  withdrawal 
of  his  forces  by  General  Scott, 
General  Taylor  was  obliged,  to  fall 
back  upon  Monterey,  where  he 
remained  until  February.  In  that 
month  he  received  reinforcements, 
and  immediately  determined  to 
march  at  all  hazards,  towards  Santa 
Anna's  position.  Accordingly  he 
left  Monterey  at  the  head  of  five 
thousand  four  hundred  men,  and 
on  the  20th  of  February,  was  at 
Agua  Nueva,  eighteen  miles  below  Saltillo.  Here  he  received 
intelligence  that  Santa  Anna  was  then  but  thirty  miles  distant,  and 
174 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  175 

rapidly  advancing.  He,  therefore,  left  Agua  Nueva,  and  took  up 
a  strong  position  at  Buena  Vista,  seven  miles  below  Saltillo. 

The  excellence  of  this  station,  as  a  battle  ground,  had  been 
remarked  by  General  Taylor,  when  passing  it  on  his  previous 
march,  and  the  wisdom  evinced  in  its  choice  has  been  a  theme  of 
universal  admiration.  The  face  of  the  country  is  every  way  adapted 
to  interrupt  the  progress  of  an  enemy's  cavalry,  and  to  diminish 
the  advantages  of  a  superiority  in  numbers.  The  mountains  rise 
on  either  side  of  an  irregular  and  broken  valley,  about  three  miles 
in  width,  dotted  over  with  hills  and  ridges,  and  scarred  with  broad 
and  winding  ravines.  The  main  road  lies  along  the  course  of  an 
"arroyo,"  the  bed  of  which  is  so  deep  as  to  form  an  almost  im 
passable  barrier,  while  the  other  side  is  bounded  by  precipitous 
elevations,  stretching  perpendicularly  toward  the  mountains,  and 
separated  by  broad  gullies  until  they  mingle  with  one  at  the  princi 
pal  base.  Of  course  such  a  road  is  almost  impracticable  for  artil 
lery,  and,  in  fine,  for  any  satisfactory  movements  of  a  large  army. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22d,  General  Taylor  was  advised  that 
the  enemy  were  in  sight,  advancing.  They  had  left  Encarnacion 
at  1 1  o'clock,  on  the  day  previous,  and  had  driven  in  a  mounted 
force  left  at  Agua  Nueva,  to  cover  the  removal  of  public  stores. 
The  American  order  of  battle  had  been  previously  arranged.  Cap 
tain  Washington's  battery  (fourth  artillery)  was  posted  to  command 
the  road,  while  the  first  and  third  Illinois  regiments,  under  Colo 
nels  Hardin  and  Bissell,  each  eight  companies,  and  the  second 
Kentucky  regiment,  under  Colonel  McKee,  occupied  the  crests  of 
the  ridges  on  the  left  and  in  the  rear.  The  Arkansas  and  Kentucky 
regiments  of  cavalry,  commanded  by  Colonels  Yell  and  H.  Marshall, 
occupied  the  extreme  left,  near  the  base  of  the  mountain,  while  the 
Indiana  brigade,  under  Brigadier-General  Lane,  the  Mississippi  rifle 
men,  under  Colonel  Davis,  the  squadrons  of  the  first  and  second 
dragoons,  under  Captain  Steen  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  May,  and 
the  light  batteries  of  Captains  Sherman  and  Bragg,  (third  artillery,) 
were  held  in  reserve. 

At  11  o'clock,  Surgeon-General  Lindenbury,  of  the  Mexican 
army,  arrived  at  the  head-quarters  of  the  Americans,  bearing  a 


176  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

white  flag  and  a  communication  from  Santa  Anna.     The  latter  was 
a  summons  to  surrender,  which  we  annex,  together  with  the  reply. 

[TRANSLATION.] 
Summons  of  General  Santa  Anna  to  General  Taylor. 

You  are  surrounded  by  twenty  thousand  men,  and  cannot,  in  any 
human  probability,  avoid  suffering  a  rout  and  being  cut  to  pieces  by 
our  troops ;  but  as  you  deserve  consideration  and  particular  esteem, 
I  wish  to  save  you  from  a  catastrophe,  and  for  that  purpose  give 
you  this  notice,  in  order  that  you  may  surrender  at  discretion,  under 
the  assurance  that  you  will  be  treated  with  the  consideration  belong 
ing  to  the  Mexican  character,  to  which  end  you  will  be  granted  an 
hour's  time,  to  make  up  your  mind,  to  commence  from  the  moment 
when  my  flag  of  truce  arrives  in  your  camp. 

With  this  view  I  assure  you  of  my  particular  consideration. 

God  and  liberty  !     Camp  at  Encantada,  February  22d,  1847. 
ANTONIO  LOPEZ  DE  SANTA  ANNA. 

To  General  Z.  TAYLOR,  Commanding  forces  of  the  U.  S. 

HEAD  QUARTERS,  AKMY  OF  OCCUPATION, 

Near  Buena  Vista,  February  22e?,  1 847. 

SIR: — In  reply  to  your  note  of  this  date,  summoning  me  to  sur 
render  my  forces  at  discretion,  I  beg  leave  to  say  that  I  decline 
acceding  to  your  request. 

With  high  respecfl  am,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Z.  TAYLOR, 

Major-General  U.  S.  A.  commanding. 
Senor  Gen.  D.  ANTOXIO  LOPEZ  DE  SAUTA  AXNA, 
Commander-in-chief  La  Encantada. 

Before  dark  a  number  of  the  enemy's  infantry  had  ascended  the 
mountains  on  the  left,  from  which,  at  the  distance  of  three  hundred 
yards,  they  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  Colonel  Marshall's  regiment. 
This  was  returned  by  two  of  his  companies  which  were  dismounted 
for  that  purpose,  and  the  skirmishing  continued  until  after  dark.  In 
this  slight  affray  three  of  the  Americans  were  slightly  wounded. 
While  it  was  going  on,  three  pieces  of  Captain  Washington's  batterv 


BATTLE  OP  BUENA  VISTA.  177 

had  been  detached  to  the  left,  and  were  supported  by  the  second 
Indiana  regiment.  A  shell  was  occasionally  thrown  by  the  enemy 
into  this  part  of  the  line,  but  without  producing  any  effect.  It  was 
now  evident  that  no  serious  attack  would  be  made  before  morning, 
and  accordingly  General  Taylor  returned  to  Saltillo  with  the  Missis 
sippi  cavalry  and  regiment  of  dragoons.  In  order,  however,  to  be 
prepared  for  an  attack  at  any  moment,  the  troops  were  ordered  to 
bivouack  without  fires,  and  sleep  upon  their  arms. 

A  body  of  cavalry,  numbering  at  least  fifteen  hundred,  had  been 
observed  all  day  hovering  in  the  rear  of  Saltillo,  having  entered  the 
valley  through  a  narrow  pass  east  of  the  city.  The  intention  of  this 
cavalry  was  unknown,  but  it  had  probably  been  thrown  behind  the 
American  army  to  break  up  and  harass  its  expected  retreat,  and  if 
practicable,  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  town.  Ample  measures  had 
been  taken  to  thwart  the  enemy  should  they  attempt  the  latter  pro 
ject.  The  city  was  occupied  by  three  excellent  companies  of 
Illinois  volunteers,  under  Major  Warren,  of  the  first  regiment,  and  a 
field-work  which  commanded  most  of  the  approaches  was  garrisoned 
by  Captain  Webster's*  company,  first  artillery,  and  armed  with  two 
twenty-four  pound  howitzers,  while  the  train  and  head-quarters 
camp  was  guarded  by  two  companies  of  Mississippi  riflemen  under 
Captain  Rodgers,  and  a  field-piece  commanded  by  Captain  Shover, 
third  artillery.  General  Taylor  himself  passed  the  night  in  the  city, 
and  did  not  reach  the  field  of  battle  until  the  following  morning,  when 
the  engagement  had  been  for  some  time  commenced. 

The  morning  of  the  23d  was  beautiful,  and  for  a  little  while  it 
seemed  as  though  nature  had  divested  her  sons  of  the  disposition  or 
capability  of  inflicting  injury.  The  wild  ravines  of  the  rocks  hung 
with  dense  forests,  and  frowning  for  the  return  of  day,  afforded  relief 
to  the  little  hills  and  clumps  of  chapparal  which  were  scattered  in 
every  direction  ;  while  a  confused  prospect  of  deep  gorges,  tangled 
foliage,  irregular  valleys,  and  in  the  distance  the  quiet,  solemn  moun 
tains,  all  blended  into  one  indistinct  picture  by  the  approaching 
twilight,  lent  to  the  whole  an  appearance  of  romance.  But  as  the 
sun  approached  the  horizon,  the  morning  rendered  visible  the  extended 

*  Captain  Webster  is  a  son  of  the  distinguished  American  statesman,  and  a 
regular  graduate  of  West  Point  Academy. 

23 


178        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

lines  and  white  tents  of  two  opposing  armies,  and  soon  the  blast  of 
the  war  trumpet,  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the  trembling  of  the 
ground  beneath  the  tread  of  armed  thousands,  announced  that  the 
antagonists  were  preparing  for  other  scenes  than  an  admiration  of  the 
beauties  of  nature.  Mexico  and  her  hostile  sister  were  about  to 
meet  as  they  never  had  before.  There  had  been  the  opening  of  the 
drama  at  Palo  Alto  and  La  Palma,  and  the  battling  of  fierce  experience 
at  Monterey;  but  they  were  but  the  preparations  for  the  grand  dis 
play  which,  under  the  favorite  generals  of  both  nations,  was  now  to 
be  exhibited  on  the  plains  of  Buena  Vista. 

During  the  evening  and  night  of  the  22d,  detachments  of  the 
enemy  had  been  observed  stealing  toward  the  station  where  had  been 
the  firing  of  the  preceding  day.  These  different  parties  had  united, 
and  taken  up  a  position  on  the  mountain  side,  with  the  intention  of 
outflanking  the  American  left  wing.  They  were  mostly  light  troops, 
and  altogether  destitute  of  artillery.  While  they  were  maneuvering, 
the  Americans  captured  a  Mexican  soldier,  who  reported  the  force 
of  Santa  Anna  to  be  six  thousand  cavalry  and  fifteen  thousand  in 
fantry,  with  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery,  including  some  twenty-four 
pounders.  This  confirmed  the  statement  of  that  General  himself  in 
his  summons  to  surrender,  and  fully  justified  the  prevalent  belief  that 
the  coming  battle  would  be  obstinate  and  bloody. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  the  action  was  opened  by  a  fire 
of  the  Mexicans  upon  the  American  extreme  left.  During  the  night 
they  had  so  stationed  a  twelve  pounder  on  a  point  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  that  it  could  be  made  to  command  any  position  which  the 
Americans  might  take,  and  the  quick,  heavy  discharges  from  this 
piece,  showed  that  they  knew  the  importance  of  their  advantage,  and 
were  determined  to  improve  it. 

These  discharges  were  received  and  answered  by  the  riflemen 
under  Colonel  Marshall,  who  had  been  previously  reinforced  by 
three  companies  under  Major  Trail,  of  the  second  Illinois  volunteers. 
Though  engaged  with  a  much  superior  force,  these  troops  maintained 
their  ground  with  spirit  and  effect,  returning  the  fire  of  the  light 
troops  with  great  coolness. 

Meanwhile  Lieutenant  O'Brien  of  the  fourth  artillery, accompanied 
by  Lieutenant  Bryan  of  the  topographical  engineers,  was  detached 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  179 

with  three  pieces  of  Washington's  battery  to  counteract  the  effect  of 
the  Mexican  field  piece.  A  few  well  directed  shots  accomplished 
the  end  ;  but  their  firing  was  after  a  little  while  renewed. 

The  attention  of  the  army  was  now  directed  to  a  movement  of  the 
enemy  on  the  left  of  its  line,  where  for  some  time  they  had  been 
concentrating  a  large  force  of  both  infantry  and  cavalry.  As  the 
object  of  this  movement  was  to  crush  the  left  wing,  the  batteries  of 
Sherman  and  Bragg  were  immediately  ordered  to  that  station ; 
Colonel  Bissell's  regiment  occupied  a  position  between  them,  while 
Colonel  McKee's  Kentuckians  were  transfered  from  the  right,  so  as 
to  hold  a  position  near  the  centre.  At  the  same  time  the  second 
Indiana  regiment  under  Colonel  Bowles,  was  placed  on  the  extreme 
left,  nearly  perpendicular  to  the  direction  of  the  line,  so  as  to  oppose, 
by  a  direct  fire,  the  flank  movement  of  the  enemy.  The  whole  of 
these,  with  the  forces  before  engaged  on  the  left,  were  under  the 
command  of  Brigadier-General  Lane. 

Meanwhile  the  whole  body  of  the  enemy  had  formed,  and  were 
bearing  down  toward  the  American  line.  As  the  whole  train  moved 
in  slow  procession,  both  horses  and  men  clothed  in  splendid  armor, 
and  their  swords  and  polished  lances  glittering  in  the  morning  sun, 
they  presented  a  spectacle  at  once  noble  and  impressive.  At  the 
same  time  the  Americans  were  not  idle,  but  watched  coolly  the  ap 
proach  of  the  host,  with  whom  they  were  soon  to  be  engaged  in 
mortal  conflict;  and  Lane  even  ordered  the  artillery  and  second 
Indiana  regiment  forward,  in  order  to  bring  them  within  effective  range. 
The  artillery  of  both  armies  now  commenced  rapid  discharges  upon 
the  opposing  ranks,  while  at  the  same  moment  the  Mexican  infantry 
poured  a  wide  sheet  of  fire  upon  the  whole  line  from  the  left,  to 
McKee's  regiment.  This  was  answered  by  the  Kentucky  riflemen 
under  McKee,  Clay  and  Fry,  and  the  uninterrupted  roar  of  fire-arms, 
and  shouts  of  the  combatants  announced  that  the  action  on  the  left 
had  become  general.  The  American  artillery  was  now  within  musket 
range  of  the  Mexican  infantry,  into  which  it  poured  a  most  destruc 
tive  fire,  but  without  being  able  to  check  their  approach.  During 
the  whole  attack  the  second  Illinois  regiment  was  exposed  to  the 
hottest  of  the  fire,  which  it  sustained  with  admirable  firmness  ;  and 
the  main  body  of  Colonel  Hardin's  regiment  having  moved  to  the 


180 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


Major    Dix   rallying   the   Indiana   men. 


right  of  the  Kentuckians,  the  representatives  of  each  state  seemed  to 
vie  with  each  other  in  doing  the  best  service  to  their  country. 

Meanwhile  the  enemy's  cavalry  had  been  stealthily  pursuing  their 
way  along  the  mountain,  and  though  the  artillery  had  wrought  great 
havoc  in  their  masses,  yet  the  leading  columns  passed  the  extreme 
points  of  danger,  and  were  concentrating  their  forces  for  a  charge 
upon  the  American  rear.  At  this  moment  when  the  utmost  effort 
of  every  available  force  seemed  essential  to  the  least  chance  of  a  suc 
cessful  resistance,  the  Indiana  regiment  who  were  stationed  to  sup 
port  the  artillery  turned  upon  its  proper  front,  and  commenced  a 
disorderly  retreat.  Colonel  Bowles  immediately  dashed  forward  to 
arrest  their  progress ;  but  all  his  efforts  were  vain,  and  they  con 
tinued  their  flight  until  beyond  range  of  battle.  Several  officers  of 
General  Taylor's  staff  immediately  galloped  off  to  rally  them  if 
possible.  Major  Dix  of  the  pay  department  (formerly  seventh  in- 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  181 

fantry)  was  the  first  to  reach  the  deserters  ;  and  seizing  the  regimental 
colors,  displayed  them  to  the  men  with  an  appeal  to  their  honor  as 
soldiers ;  he  was  answered  by  loud  cheers,  and  a  portion  of  the 
regiment  immediately  rallied  round  him,  and  was  reformed  by  the 
officers.  The  major  then  led  them  toward  the  enemy,  bearing  the 
standard  until  one  of  the  men  volunteered  to  carry  it.  The  party 
then  returned  to  the  field,  and  though  not  in  time  to  repair  the  dis 
aster  which  their  flight  had  occasioned,  yet  they  afterwards  retrieved 
in  some  degree  their  military  honor.* 

The  sight  of  this  disgraceful  retreat  filled  the  enemy  with  exulta 
tion.  To  their  imagination,  it  was  but  a  prelude  to  the  flight  of  the 
whole  army,  and  wild  shouts  of  triumph  rose  above  the  explosion 
of  artillery  and  the  din  of  battle.  Their  troops  poured  on  by  thou- 

*  Some  difference  of  opinion  has  lately  been  manifested,  with  regard  to  the 
causes  of  the  behaviour  of  this  regiment.  A  court  martial  held  upon  the  con 
duct  of  Colonel  Bowles,  is  said  to  have  established  the  fact,  that  the  troops  did 
not  retreat  until  ordered  to  do  so  by  that  officer.  He  is  said  to  deserve  the 
whole  censure  of  the  movement,  notwithstanding  the  commendation  he  received 
in  the  despatches  of  other  officers. 

In  the  official  despatch  of  General  Wool,  (March  4th,)  is  the  following 
paragraph — "  I  shall  attempt  to  make  no  apology  for  their  retreat ;  but  I  desire 
to  call  your  attention  to  one  fact  connected  with  this  affair.  They  remained  in 
their  position,  in  line,  receiving  the  Jire  of  three  thousand  or  four  thousand 
infantry  in  front,  exposed  at  the  same  time  on  the  left  flank,  to  a  most  des 
perate  raking  fire  from  the  enemy 's  battery,  posted  within  point  blank  shot, 
until  they  had  deliberately  discharged  twenty  rounds  of  cartridges  at  the 
enemy. 

"  Some  excuse  may  be  framed  for  those  who  retired  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
immediately  rallied  and  fought  during  the  day  ;  but  unless  they  hasten  to  retrieve 
their  reputations,  disgrace  must  forever  hang  around  the  names  of  those  who 
refused  to  return  ;  and  I  regret  to  say  there  were  a  few  of  those,  from  nearly 
every  volunteer  corpse  engaged." 

General  Taylor  thus  speaks  of  this  affair  in  his  official  of  March  6th : — 
"  The  second  Indiana  regiment  could  not  be  rallied,  and  took  no  further  part 
in  the  action,  except  a  handful  of  men,  who  under  its  gallant  colonel,  Bowles, 
joined  the  Mississippi  regiment,  and  did  good  service,  and  those  fugitives  who, 
at  a  later  part  of  the  day  assisted  in  defending  the  train  and  depot  at  Buena 
Vista." 

A  correspondent  of  the  New  Orleans  Delta  who  was  in  the  battle,  has  the 
following  item.  "  Finding  that  his  men  faltered  early  in  the  action,  Colonel 
Bowles  withdrew  from  them  in  disgust,  and  joined  the  Mississippi  regiment  in 
the  thickest  of  the  fight."  It  is  also  stated  that  on  the  following  day  when  the 
colonel  accidentally  passed  that  regiment,  they  arose  and  presented  arms  in 
testimony  of  their  esteem  for  his  valor. 

As  further  evidence  upon  this  subject,  see  the  general  orders  of  the  American 
commander  at  the  close  of  this  account  of  the  battle. 


182 


LIFE  OP  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


sands,  discharging  not  only  small  arms  and  artillery  in  front,  but 
cross  fires  of  grape  and  canister  from  their  battery  on  the  left.  Against 
so  tremendous  a  charge  Captain  O'Brien  found  it  impossible  to  re 
tain  his  position  without  support,  but  was  not  able  to  withdraw  more 
than  two  of  his  pieces,  all  the  horses  and  cannoneers  of  the  third  one 
being  killed  or  disabled.  At  the  same  time  Colonel  Bissell's  regi 
ment,  which  had  been  joined  by  a  section  of  Captain  Sherman's 
battery,  having  become  completely  outflanked,  and  being  entirely  un 
supported,  was  compelled  to  fall  back.  The  enemy  were  now  cer 
tain  of  victory,  and  on  every  side  continued  to  march  dense  masses 
of  infantry  and  cavalry  toward  a  station  in  rear  of  the  Americans. 


General    Taylor    at   Buena    Vista 

At  this  moment  General  Taylor  arrived  from  Saltillo. 

The  Mississippi  regiment  had  been  directed  to  the  left,  before 
reaching  the  position,  and  immediately,  came  into  action  with  the 
Mexican  infantry  which  had  turned  the  American  flank.  Previously 
to  this  the  second  Kentucky  regiment,  and  a  section  of  artillery  under 
Captain  Bragg,  had  been  ordered  from  the  right  to  reinforce  the  left, 
and  arrived  in  a  most  seasonable  moment.  That  regiment  and  a 
portion  of  the  first  Illinois  under  Colonel  Hardin,  came  rapidly  into 
action,  drove  back  the  enemy,  and  recovered  a  portion  of  the  lost 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  183 

ground.  The  batteries  of  Sherman  and  Bragg  did  much  execution, 
not  only  in  front,  but  particularly  upon  the  masses  which  had  gained 
the  rear.  Washington's  battery  on  the  right  had  also  opened  its 
fire,  and  the  artillery  now  made  the  columns  of  the  enemy  to  roll 
too  and  fro  like  ships  upon  the  ocean.  The  action  was  at  this  time 
terrible.  The  battle  raged  along  the  entire  line  of  both  armies,  caus 
ing  the  vollies  of  artillery  to  reverberate  through  the  mountains  like 
the  thunder  of  their  own  storms.  Twenty-five  thousand  men  were 
then  engaged  in  a  dark  and  fearful  struggle  for  death  or  victory. 

The  Mexican  cavalry  still  pressed  on  the  left,  and  threatened  a 
charge  upon  the  Mississippi  riflemen,  who,  under  Colonel  Davis, 
had  been  ordered  to  support  the  Indiana  regiment.  The  Colonel 
immediately  threw  his  command  into  the  form  of  a  V,  with  the 
opening  toward  the  enemy.  In  this  position  he  firmly  awaited  the 
advance  of  the  cavalry,  who  came  dashing  on  at  full  speed.  The 
Americans  reserved  their  fire  until  they  could  take  aim  at  the  enemy's 
eyes,  and  then  poured  forth  a  volley  from  both  lines,  which  broke 
the  opposing  ranks,  overthrowing  horse  and  rider  ill  promiscuous 
slaughter.*  This  retarded  but  did  not  stop  their  progress,  and  in  a 
litde  while  they  rallied  for  a  renewed  attack. 

*  About  this  time  a  portion  of  the  enemy's  infantry  had  become  detached  from 
the  main  body  and  were  suffering  such  terrible  slaughter,  that  General  Taylor 
thought  proper  to  send  Lieutenant  Crittendonwith  a  flag  of  truce  to  the  Mexican 
commander  in  order  to  demand  their  surrender. 

The  Mexican  otnccr,  pretending  not  to  understand  the  character  of  his  mis 
sion,  insisted  that  he  should  be  blindfolded,  according  to  the  rules  of  war,  and 
thus  had  the  lieutenant  carried  into  the  camp  of  Santa  Anna  himself.  This 
was  a  ruse  to  extricate  the  Mexican  cavalry  from  their  dangerous  position,  and 
pending  this  truce,  they  were  all  drawn  off  by  a  different  road  from  that  by 
which  they  had  gained  this  position. 

Lieutenant  Crittenden  was  conducted  blindfolded  to  the  tent  of  the  Mexican  gene- 
ral-in-chief,  which  he  found  a  longdistance  from  the  scene  of  action,  and  in  a  situa 
tion  which  he  thought  the  safest  place  he  had  been  in  during  the  whole  day.  A  s  he 
approached  Santa  Anna's  tent,  he  was  greeted  with  a  most  tremendous  flourish 
of  trumpets,  which  might  have  been  heard  a  mile  off,  but  produced  no  very  great 
terror  in  the  mind  of  the  Kcntuckian.  His  blind  was  taken  off,  and  he  found 
himself  in  the  presence  of  the  famous  Mexican  chief,  surrounded  by  a  brilliant 
staff  of  bedizened,  gilded,  and  moustached  officers.  Santa  Anna  apologized  to 
the  lieutenant  for  the  act  of  his  officers  in  having  him  blindfolded,  saying  that 
so  far  from  having  any  desire  to  conceal  his  situation,  he  was  desirous  of  exhibit 
ing  to  General  Taylor  the  utter  folly  of  resisting  so  powerful  an  army  as  he  had 
under  his  command.  To  which  the  lieutenant  replied,  that  his  simple  message 
was  to  demand  his  [Santa  Anna's]  immediate  surrender  to  General  Taylor. 


184  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  third  Indiana  regiment  under  Colonel  Lane, 
supported  by  a  considerable  body  of  horse,  was  ordered  to  join 
Colonel  Davis.  At  the  same  time  Lieutenant  Kilburn  with  a  piece 
of  Captain  Bragg's  artillery,  was  directed  to  support  the  infantry 
there  engaged.  The  action  now  recommenced  with  redoubled  vigor, 
and  every  inch  of  ground  was  contested  with  obstinacy.  Several 
charges  were  made  by  the  enemy,  both  with  cavalry  and  infantry, 
but  they  were  resolutely  met,  and  the  Mexicans  repulsed  with  heavy 
loss.  Meanwhile  all  the  regular  cavalry  and  Captain  Pike's  squa 
dron  of  Arkansas  horse,  had  been  placed  under  the  orders  of  brevet 
Lieutenant-Colonel  May,  with  directions  to  hold  in  check  the  enemy's 
column,  which  was  still  advancing  to  the  rear  along  the  base  of  the 
mountain ;  and  this  he  effected  in  conjunction  with  the  Kentucky 
and  Arkansas  cavalry,  under  Colonels  Marshall  and  Yell. 

Meanwhile  the  left,  which  was  still  strongly  threatened  by  a  supe 
rior  force,  was  further  strengthened  by  a  detachment  of  Captain 

When  this  extraordinary  demand  was  translated  to  the  Mexican,  he  raised  his 
hands  and  eyebrows  in  utter  astonishment  at  the  temerity  and  presumption  of 
such  a  message,  and  replied,  that  he  would  expect  General  Taylor  to  surrender 
in  an  hour,  or  he  would  destroy  all  his  forces.  Lieutenant  Crittenden's  reply, 
which  we  have  already  given — "  General  Taylor  never  surrenders/" — termi 
nated  the  interview,  and  the  battle  recommenced,  and  was  continued  until  night. 

In  connection  with  this  affair,  the  following  humorous  anecdote  is  related  of 
Colonel  May.  He  was  on  the  very  eve  of  charging  the  detachment  with  his 
dragoons,  when  Lieutenant  Crittenden  passed  with  his  white  flag.  The  colonel 
rode  out  across  the  path  and  inquired  the  object  of  the  mission.  "  I  am  going," 
replied  Crittenden,  "  to  tell  those  fellows  to  surrender  in  order  to  save  their  lives.'* 
u  Wait  till  I  have  charged  them."  "  Impossible  ;  the  old  man  has  sent  me,  and 
I  must  go  on."  "But  my  good  fellow,"  said  May,  entreatingly,  "for  God's 
sake  just  rein  up  for  flue  minutes  and  give  us  a  chance  at  them"  "  Would 
do  any  thing  to  oblige  you,  colonel,  but  I  have  the  old  man's  orders,  and  there 
is  no  help  for  it." 

He  dashed  forward,  while  the  colonel  returned  to  his  squadron  in  the  worst 
of  all  possible  humors  against  flags  of  truce. — N.  0.  Bulletin. 

Colonel  May  had  been  manosuvring  for  an  hour  and  a  half  to  bring  these  6000 
Mexicans  into  a  ravine  where  they  might  have  been  utterly  destroyed.  It  was 
his  intention  to  pour  in  a  discharge  of  grape  shot  from  Bragg's  battery,  which 
was  under  his  command,  and  then  having  thus  thrown  them  into  confusion,  to 
charge  them  with  two  regiments  of  dragoons.  They  would  have  been  annihi 
lated.  As  it  was,  they  escaped.  General  Taylor's  motive  was  undoubtedly 
pure  humanity — a  desire  to  spare  the  unnecessary  effusion  of  blood.  The  reader 
will  observe  the  high  compliment  paid  by  the  general  to  the  military  talents  of 
Colonel  May,  by  supposing  that  if  he  should  attack  this  body  of  Mexicans,  their 
utter  destruction,  annihilation,  was  a  matter  of  dead  certainty. 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  185 

Bragg's,  and  a  portion  of  Captain  Sherman's  batteries.  The  con 
centration  of  artillery  fire  upon  the  masses  of  the  enemy  at  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  and  the  determined  resistance  offered  by  the  two 
regiments  opposed  to  them,  had  created  confusion  in  their  ranks,  and 
some  of  the  corps  attempted  to  effect  a  retreat  upon  their  main  line 
of  battle.  In  order  to  prevent  this  the  squadron  of  the  first  dragoons 
under  Lieutenant  Rucker  was  ordered  up  the  deep  ravine  which 
they  were  endeavoring  to  cross,  with  orders  to  charge  and  disperse 
them.  The  lieutenant  proceeded  to  the  point  indicated;  but  being 
exposed  to  a  heavy  fire  from  a  battery  established  to  cover  the  re 
treat  of  those  corps,  he  could  not  accomplish  his  object. 

While  this  was  going  on,  the  American  baggage  train  was  ob 
served  winding  along  the  Saltillo  road.  At  sight  of  it  the  lancers 
formed,  evidently  with  the  design  of  making  an  attack  upon  a  part 
of  the  army  likely  to  offer  but  little  resistance ;  but  at  this  important 
moment  Lieutenant  Rucker  rushed  along,  giving  them  a  sweeping 
fire,  which  scattered  a  part  of  them  with  the  loss  of  many  killed  and 
wounded.  Lieutenant-Colonel  May  with  two  pieces  of  Sherman's 
battery,  under  Lieutenant  Reynolds,  was  also  ordered  to  defend  the 
hacienda  of  Buena  Vista,  where  the  train  and  baggage  of  the  army 
were  deposited.  In  the  mean  time  the  scattered  forces  near  the  ha 
cienda,  composed  in  part  of  the  commands  of  Majors  Trail  and 
German,  had  partly  organized  under  Major  Monroe,  chief  of  artil 
lery,  with  the  assistance  of  Major  Morrison,  volunteer  staff,  and 
were  posted  to  defend  the  position.  Before  the  American  cavalry 
had  reached  the  hacienda,  that  of  the  enemy  had  made  an  attack. 
The  latter  were  far  more  numerous  than  their  antagonists ;  but  their 
fierce  charge  was  successfully  resisted  by  the  Kentucky  and  Ar 
kansas  cavalry  under  Colonels  Marshall  and  Yell.  In  the  conflict 
the  Mexican  column  was  divided,  one  portion  sweeping  by  the  depot 
where  it  received  a  destructive  fire  from  the  force  collected  there, 
and  then  gained  a  mountain  opposite  under  a  fire  from  Lieutenant 
Reynolds's  section.  The  second  portion  gained  the  base  of  the  moun- 
la  n  on  the  left.  In  the  charge  at  Buena  Vista,  Colonel  Yell  and 
Adjutant  Vaughan,  of  the  Kentucky  cavalry,  were  mortally  wounded. 
They  were  officers  of  much  promise.* 

*  Colonel  YELL  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1797,  and  with  his  father's  family 

24 


136  LIFI<:  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

May's  dragoons,  with  a  squadron  of  Arkansas  cavalry  under 
Captain  Pike,  supported  by  a  piece  of  artillery  under  Reynolds,  now 
encountered  the  lancers,  who  had  once  more  rallied ;  but  this  shock 
threw  their  whole  rank  into  confusion,  and  drove  them  back  toward 
the  mountain  with  immense  loss. 

The  chances  of  victory  seemed  now  with  the  Americans,  and  the 
position  of  that  portion  of  the  Mexican  army  which  had  gained  the 
rear,  was  so  critical  as  to  render  it  doubtful ;  whether  it  would  be 
able  to  rejoin  the  main  body.  At  this  moment  a  Mexican  officer 
reached  General  Taylor,  bearing  a  white  flag,  and  stated  in  a  most 
courteous  manner  that  "  he  had  been  sent  by  his  excellency  General 
Santa  Anna,  to  his  excellency  General  Taylor,  to  inquire  in  the 
most  respectful  manner,  what  he  was  waiting  for."*  Although  this 
was  believed  to  be  merely  a  ruse,  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  time, 
the  American  commander  thought  proper  to  notice  it.  Accord 
ingly  Brigadier-General  Wool  was  despatched  to  the  Mexican  coin- 
early  emigrated  to  Tennessee.  In  1813,  being  then  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  he 
enlisted  at  his  country's  call,  and  rushed  to  the  side  of  the  immortal  Jackson. 
After  assisting  in  the  taking  of  Pensacola,  he  accompanied  his  brigade  to  New 
Orleans,  and  there  on  the  ever  memorable  eighth,  he  distinguished  himself  for 
bravery  and  patriotism.  In  1818,  when  volunteers  were  called  for,  for  the 
Seminole  war,  Colonel  Yell  was  among  the  first  to  offer  his  services;  he  raised 
a  company  and  was  chosen  captain,  and  during  the  campaign  it  is  said  of  him, 
"  wherever  the  danger  was  greatest,  there  he  was."  Between  that  time  and 
1827,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  of  Tennessee,  he  finished  his  edu 
cation,  and  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law.  He  was  loved  by  General 
Jackson  for  his  many  noble  qualities,  and  received  from  him  many  evidences  of 
his  confidence. 

In  '32  he  was  appointed  receiver  of  public  moneys,  and  removed  to  Arkan 
sas,  but  soon  after  resigned.  He  was  then  appointed  judge  of  one  of  the  district 
courts  of  Arkansas,  and  was  distinguished  for  his  firmness  and  impartiality — his 
quickness  to  perceive  the  right  and  to  detect  the  wrong.  When  the  state  con 
stitution  was  formed  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  the  people  were  well 
pleased  with  his  services,  continued  him  there  until  1842,  when  he  was  chosen 
governor  of  the  state  by  a  large  majority;  but  in  1844  he  resigned,  and  again 
became  a  candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  signally  distinguished  in  the  great 
canvass  of  '41,  and  was  triumphantly  elected.  The  present  war  commenced, 
however,  before  his  term  of  office  expired,  and  with  the  true  spirit  of  the  soldier 
he  returned  to  Arkansas  and  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  her  patriotic  volun 
teers,  and  there  in  the  hard  fought  field  of  Buena  Vista  he  offered  up  his  life  to 
his  country.  In  him  the  nation,  no  less  than  Arkansas,  has  lost  a  bright  orna 
ment  and  a  faithful  and  patriotic  citizen. 

*  It  is  reported  that  the  general  replied  "  that  he  was  only  waiting  for 
General  Santa  Anna  to  surrender," 


DIAGIIAM 

of  the  Battle  Ground  of 

BUENA   VISTA.   OR    ANGOSTURA. 

Fought  on  the  22d  and  23d  of  February,  1847. 


References. 


A.  American  Right. 

B.  American  Battery. 

C.  American  Left. 
D  Mexican  Battery. 


188        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

mander,  and  orders  issued  to  the  army  to  cease  firing.  When  Wool 
arrived  at  the  enemy's  line  they  refused  to  cease  their  fire,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  return  without  an  interview.  During  the  cessation 
on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  the  enemy  continued  to  retreat  along 
the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  finally  effected  a  junction  with  the  re 
mainder  of  the  army.  This  had  evidently  been  ihe  object  of  the 
Mexican  general  in  asking  a  truce — a  manoeuvre  as  artful  as  it  was 
successful. 

During  the  day,  the  cavalry  of  General  Minon  had  ascended  the 
elevated  plain  above  Saltillo,  and  occupied  the  road  from  the  city  to 
the  field  of  battle,  where  they  intercepted  several  American  privates. 
On  approaching  the  town,  they  were  fired  upon  by  Captain  Webster 
from  the  redoubt  occupied  by  his  company,  and  then  moved  toward 
the  eastern  side  of  the  valley,  in  the  oblique  direction  of  Buena  Vista. 

At  this  time  Captain  Shover,  supported  by  a  miscellaneous  com 
mand  of  mounted  volunteers,  fired  several  shots  at  the  cavalry  with 
great  effect.  They  were  driven  into  the  ravines  which  lead  to  the 
lower  valley,  closely  pursued  by  Captain  Shover,  who  was  further 
supported  by  one  piece  of  Captain  Webster's  battery,  under  Lieutenant 
Donaldson,  who  had  advanced  from  the  redoubt,  aided  by  Captain 
Wheeler's  company  of  Illinois  volunteers.  The  enemy  made  one 
or  two  efforts  to  charge  the  artillery,  but  were  finally  driven  back  in 
a  confused  mass,  and  did  not  reappear  upon  the  plain. 

After  the  junction  of  the  cavalry  of  Santa  Anna  with  his  main 
army,  he  determined  to  concentrate  his  forces  for  a  general  charge 
upon  the  American  line.  They  came  down  in  full  strength,  directing 
their  whole  efforts  to  the  point  where  was  the  little  company  of 
artillery.  Captain  O'Brien  with  two  pieces,  met  this  heavy  charge 
with  the  most  admirable  firmness ;  but  his  infantry  support  being 
entirely  routed,  he  was  at  length  obliged  to  leave  his  guns  on  the 
field  and  retire.*  Captain  Bragg,  who  had  just  arrived  from  the 

*  The  following  extracts  from  the  despatches  of  these  two  brave  artillerists, 
will  convey  an  idea  of  the  obstinacy  of  the  conflict  which  they  so  nobly  main 
tained. 

"  The  position  of  things  now  appeared  very  critical.  If  the  enemy  succeeded 
in  forcing  our  position  at  this  point,  the  day  was  theirs.  There  was  but  one 
other  piece  opposed  to  them,  and  it  was  all  important  to  maintain  our  ground 
until  our  artillery  came  round  the  ravine,  from  the  plain  on  our  left,  and  joined 
us.  I  therefore  determined  to  hold  my  post  until  the  enemy  reached  the 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  180 

left,  was  immediately  ordered  into  battery ;  and  without  any  infantry 
to  support  him,  and  at  the  imminent  risk  of  losing  his  guns,  that 
brave  officer  rushed  into  action  when  the  Mexican  line  was  but  a 
few  yards  from  the  muzzle  of  his  guns.  The  moment  was  critical. 
Every  eye  was  bent  toward  him,  as  the  fierce  lancers,  rising  in  their 
stirrups,  rushed  at  his  little  band.  Suddenly  that  artillery  which 
had  so  often  scattered  death  amid  their  ranks,  opened  its  tremendous 
fire.  Then  there  was  a  pause  in  their  progress,  and  scores  of  the 
dead  and  wounded  sunk  with  one  thrilling  groan  beneath  the  hoofs 
of  their  companions'  chargers.  The  pause  was  but  for  a  moment ;  a 
command  was  given  to  advance,  and  they  obeyed.  But  another  dis 
charge,  and  the  next  moment  another,  mowed  them  down  by  hundreds 
and  threw  their  columns  into  disorder  and  defeat.  The  Mexicans 
were  thoroughly  routed  ;  and  while  their  regiments  and  divisions 
were  flying,  nearly  all  the  light  troops  were  orflered  forward,  and 
followed  them  with  a  deadly  fire,  mingled  with  shouts  which  rose 
above  the  noise  of  battle.  In  this  charge  the  first  Illinois  regiment, 
and  McKee's  Kentuckians  were  foremost.  Forgetting  their  deficiency 
of  numbers  in  the  ardour  of  pursuit,  these  troops  pushed  forward  to 

muzzles  of  my  guns.  The  firing  from  the  section  became  more  and  more  de 
structive  as  the  enemy  advanced.  It  repelled  a  body  of  lancers,  which  was  about 
charging  on  the  Illinois  regiment.  My  own  loss  was  severe.  I  had  had  two  horses 
shot  under  mo ;  the  one  I  was  then  on,  was  wounded  and  limping,  and  I  had  receiv 
ed  a  wound  in  the  leg.  All  my  cannoneers  except  a  few  recruits  who  had  joined 
soni3  davs  before,  were  killed  or  disabled.  In  the  midst  of  this  heavy  fire,  with 
horses  and  men  dropping  around  them,  the  few  recruits  who  were  fit  for  duty 
lost  their  presence  of  mind,  and  I  found  it  impossible  with  all  my  efforts  to  keep 
them  to  their  guns.  I  remained  with  the  pieces  to  the  last,  until  the  enemy  came 
within  a  few  yards  of  them,  when  I  was  forced  to  retire  for  want  of  a  single 
cannoneer  to  load  or  fire.  I  was  however  delighted  to  find  that  I  had  maintained 
my  ground  sufficiently  long,  to  cause  the  victory  to  be  secured  ;  for  at  this 
moment,  the  rest  of  our  artillery  arrived  and  came  into  action." — Captain 
O'Brien's  Report. 

"  Having  gained  a  point  from  which  my  guns  could  be  used,  I  put  them  in 
battery,  and  loaded  with  canister.  Now  for  the  first  time  I  felt  the  imminent 
peril  in  which  we  stood.  Oar  infantry  was  routed,  our  advanced  artillery  cap 
tured,  and  the  enemy  in  heavy  force  coming  upon  us  at  a  run.  Feeling  that 
the  day  depended  upon  the  successful  stand  of  our  artillery,  I  appealed  to  the 
commanding  general  who  was  near,  for  support.  None  was  to  be  had  ;  and 
under  his  instructions  to  maintain  our  position  at  every  hazard,  I  returned  to 
my  battery,  encouraged  my  men,  and,  when  the  enemy  arrived  within  good 
range,  poured  forth  the  canister  as  rapidly  as  my  guns  could  be  loaded.  At  the 
first  discharge,  I  observed  the  enemy  falter,  and  in  a  short  time,  he  was  in  full 
retreat" — Captain  Bragg '.v  Report. 


190  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

a  considerable  distance  beyond  the  battle  line ;  when  the  Mexicans 
wheeled  around  with  almost  magical  quickness,  and  attacked  them. 
For  awhile  the  carnage  was  great  on  both  sides  ;  but  the  Americans 
being  but  a  handful  in  comparison  with  the  dense  masses  that  were 
hurled  against  them,  were  obliged  to  retreat.  Thus  the  day  again 
seemed  lost ;  but  in  this  extremity,  an  appeal  to  the  faithful  weapon, 
which  had  never  yet  failed  them,  retrieved  the  victory.  While  the 
Americans  were  driven  through  the  ravines,  at  the  extremities  of 
which  a  body  of  Mexican  lancers  was  stationed  to  cut  off  their 
retreat,  Brent  and  Whiting  of  Washington's  battery,  discharged  upon 
the  pursuers  a  torrent  of  grape  shot,  which  overthrew  vast  numbers, 
and  put  the  survivors  to  flight.  This  fire  was  most  fortunate  ;  saving 
the  weary  remnant  of  those  brave  regiments,  which  had  so  long  and 
ably  sustained  the  hottest  part  of  the  fight.  On  the  other  flank  the 
artillery  was  left  unsupported,  and  while  the  legions  of  tho  enemy 
came  rushing  down,  its  capture  seemed  inevitable.  But  Bragg  and 
Thomas,  assisted  by  Bryan,  O'Brien  and  Sherman,  seemed  to  grow 
with  the  danger,  and  eclipsed  even  the  fame  they  had  won  at  Mon- 
torey.  Every  horse  of  O'Brien's  battery  was  killed,  and  the  enemy 
had  advanced  to  within  range  of  grape,  sweeping  all  before  them. 
But  here  their  progress  was  arrested  by  a  storm  of  iron  hail,  by 
which  all  their  squadrons  and  battalions  were  broken  and  scattered. 
Though  suffering  immense  loss,  they  succeeded  however  in  capturing 
three  pieces  of  artillery  which  were  without  horses.  This  was  the 
third  occasion  during  the  day,  in  which  when  all  seemed  lost  but 
honor,  the  artillery  by  the  ability  with  which,  it  was  manoeuvred,  rolled 
back  the  tide  of  success  from  the  enemy,  and  saved  the  army.  But  it 
was  attended  with  a  heavy  loss  to  the  Americans.  While  fighting 
most  gallantly  at  the  head  of  their  respective  commands,  Colonel 
Hard  in  of  the  first  Illinois  regiment,  and  Colonel  McKee  and  Lieu 
tenant-Colonel  Clay  of  the  second  Kentucky,  were  each  mortally 
wounded. 

The  battle  had  now  raged  with  variable  success  for  nearly  ten 
hours,  and  after  the  last  carnage,  both  parties  seemed  willing  to  pause 
upon  the  result.  The  approach  of  night  gave  the  American  general 
an  opportunity  to  pay  proper  attention  to  the  wounded,  as  also  to 
refresh  his  soldiers,  who  were  exhausted  by  excessive  combat  and 


BATTLE  OF  13UENA  VISTA.  191 

watchfulness.  Though  the  night  was  severely  cold,  most  of  the  troops 
were  compelled  to  bivouack  without  fires,  expecting  that  morning 
would  renew  the  conflict.  During  the  night  the  wounded  were 
removed  to  Saltillo,  and  every  preparation  made  to  receive  the  enemy. 
Seven  fresh  companies  were  drawn  from  the  town,  and  Brigadier- 
General  Marshall  with  a  reinforcement  of  Kentucky  cavalry,  and 
four  heavy  guns,  under  Captain  Prentiss,  first  artillery,  was  near  at 
hand,  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  enemy  had  abandoned  their 
position  during  the  night.  Scouts  were  sent  after  them,  who  soon 
ascertained  that  they  had  fallen  back  upon  Agua  Nueva.  The  great 
disparity  of  numbers,  and  the  exhaustion  of  the  troops,  rendered  it 
inexpedient  and  hazardous  in  the  American  commander  to  attempt  a 
pursuit.  A  staff-oflicer  was  despatched  to  Santa  Anna,  to  negotiate 
an  exchange  of  prisoners,  which  was  satisfactorily  completed  the 
next  day.  The  dead  were  collected  and  buried  ;  and  the  Mexican 
wounded,  of  which  a  large  number  had  been  left  upon  the  field,  were 
removed  to  Saltillo,  and  rendered  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
would  permit. 

The  force  engaged  in  this  battle,  together  with  other  items,  we 
give  in  General  Taylor's  own  words.* 

"  The  American  force  engaged  in  the  action  of  Buena  Vista,  is 
shown  by  the  accompanying  field  report, to  have  been  334  officers,  and 
4, 125  men,  exclusive  of  the  small  command  left  in  and  near  Saltillo. 
Of  this  number,  two  squadrons  of  cavalry  and  three  batteries  of  light 
artillery,  making  not  more  than  453  men,  composed  the  only  force 
of  regular  troops.  The  strength  of  the  Mexican  army  is  stated  by 
General  Santa  Anna  in  his  summons  to  be  20,000  ;  and  that  estimate 
is  confirmed  by  all  the  information  since  obtained.  Our  loss  is 
267  killed,  456  wounded,  and  23  missing.  Of  the  numerous 
wounded,  many  did  not  require  removal  to  the  hospital,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  a  comparatively  small  number  will  be  permanently  dis 
abled.  The  Mexican  loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  may  be  fairly 
estimated  at  1500,  and  will  probably  rench  2000.  At  least  500  of 
their  killed  were  left  upon  the  field  of  battle.  We  have  no  means  of 
ascertaining  the  number  of  deserters  and  dispersed  men  from  their 
ranks,  but  it  is  known  to  be  very  great. 

*  Official  report  of  Buena  Vista,  March  Gth,  1847. 


192         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Our  loss  has  been  especially  severe  in  officers,  twenty-eight  having 
been  killed  upon  the  field.  We  have  to  lament  the  death  of  Captain 
George  Lincoln,  assistant  adjutant-general,  serving  in  the  staff  of 
General  Wool — a  young  officer  of  high  bearing  and  approved 
gallantry,  who  fell  early  in  the  action.  No  loss  falls  more  heavily 
upon  the  army  in  the  field,  than  that  of  Colonels  Hardin,  and  McKee, 
and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clay.  Possessing  in  a  remarkable  degree 
the  confidence  of  their  commands,  and  the  last  two,  having  enjoyed 
the  advantage  of  a  military  education,  I  had  looked  particularly  to 
them  for  support,  in  case  we  met  the  enemy.  I  need  not  say  that 
their  zeal  in  engaging  the  enemy,  and  the  cool  and  steadfast  courage 
with  which  they  maintained  their  positions  during  the  day,  fully 
realized  my  hopes,  and  caused  me  to  feel  yet  more  sensibly  their 
untimely  loss. 

I  perform  a  grateful  duty  in  bringing  to  the  notice  of  the  govern 
ment,  the  general  good  conduct  of  the  troops.  Exposed  for  succes 
sive  nights  without  fires,  to  the  severity  of  the  weather,  they  were 
ever  prompt  and  cheerful  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty,  and  finally 
displayed  conspicuous  steadiness  and  gallantry,  in  repulsing  at  great 
odds  a  disciplined  foe.  While  the  brilliant  success  achieved  by  their 
arms,  releases  me  from  the  painful  necessity  of  specifying  many  cases 
of  bad  conduct  before  the  enemy  ;  I  feel  an  increased  obligation  to 
mention  particular  corps  and  officers,  whose  skill,  coolness  and 
gallantry,  and  under  a  continued  and  heavy  fire,  seem  to  merit  par 
ticular  notice. 

To  Brigadier-General  Wool,  my  obligations  are  especially  due. 
The  high  state  of  discipline  and  instruction  of  several  of  the  volunteer 
regiments,  was  attained  under  his  command,  and  to  his  vigilance 
and  arduous  service  before  the  action,  and  his  gallantry  and  activity 
on  the  field,  a  large  share  of  our  success  may  justly  be  attributed. 
During  most  of  the  engagement,  he  was  in  immediate  command  of 
the  troops  thrown  back  on  our  left  flank.  I  beg  leave  to  recommend 
him  to  the  favourable  notice  of  government.* 

*  JOHN  E.  WOOL  was  born  in  Orange  county,  New  York,  but  when  a  child 
he  lost  his  father,  and  removed  to  Rensselaer  county,  the  residence  of  his  grand 
father.  While  still  young,  he  was  placed  in  a  store  in  the  city  of  Troy,  where 
he  conducted  himself  with  BO  much  energy  and  faithfulness,  as  afterwards  to 
become  a  partner  in  the  business.  For  several  years  he  pursued  the  occupation 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA, 


193 


Interview    of   General    Taylor    and    General    Wool. 


of  a  merchant  with  great  success  ;  but  a  fire  occurring  at  the  end  of  that  time,  he 
was  again  reduced  to  penury.  The  war  of  1812  was  now  on  the  eve  of  com 
mencing,  and  young  Wool  determined  to  enter  the  army.  He  was  commissioned 
as  captain  of  the  13th  U.  S.  Infantry,  on  the  14th  of  April  1812,  and  the  same 
year,  so  far  distingushed  himself  at  Queenstown  Heights,  that  in  1813  he  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  in  the  29th  infantry  regiment. 

In  the  stirring  events  attending  the  siege  of  Plattsburg,in  1814,  he  was  intrust 
ed  with  a  separate  command,  and  won  the  admiration  of  his  superiors,  and  the  high 
recommendation  of  General  Macomb,  the  commanding  officer.  For  his  services 
in  this  affair,  government  promoted  him  to  the  brevet  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel, 
dating  from  the  1  Ith  of  September  1814.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was 
intrusted  with  various  military  duties.  Government  was  riot  unmindful  of  his 
merit,  and  on  the  27th  of  April  1810,  he  was  created  inspector-general,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel;  on  April  29th,  1826,  brevet  brigadier-general,  and  on  June 
29th,  1841,  full  brigadier-general. 

In  Mexico,  General  Wool  was  intrusted  with  a  part  of  the  army,  called  the 
Central  Division,  which  he  led  by  a  most  fatiguing  route,  and  joined  General 
Taylor  after  the  storming  of  Monterey.  His  services  in  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista  have  been  given;  he  led  the  main  army  in  person,  and  no  man  was 
more  instrumental  in  gaining  the  victory  of  that  action.  Connected  with  the 
battle,  a-pleasing  anecdote  is  related  of  the  two  generals.  After  the  last  charge 
of  the  Mexicans,  Wool  enthusiastically  embraced  the  old  general,  and  in 


104         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Brigadier-General  Lane  (slightly  wounded)  was  active  and  zealous 
throughout  the  day,  and  displayed  great  coolness  and  gallantry  before 
the  enemy. 

The  services  of  the  light  artillery,  always  conspicuous,  were  more 
than  usually  distinguished.  Moving  rapidly  over  the  roughest 
ground,  it  was  always  in  action  at  the  right  place,  and  the  right  time, 
and  its  well  directed  fire  dealt  destruction  in  the  masses  of  the  enemy.* 

The  Mississippi  riflemen  under  Colonel  Davis,  were  highly  con 
spicuous  for  their  gallantry  and  steadiness,  and  sustained  throughout 
the  engagement  the  reputation  of  veteran  troops.  Brought  into  action 
against  an  immensely  superior  force,  they  maintained  themselves 
for  a  long  time  unsupported,  and  with  heavy  loss,  and  held  an  im 
portant  part  of  the  field  until  reinforced.  Colonel  Davis  though 
severely  wounded,  remained  in  the  saddle  until  the  close  of  the  action. 
His  distinguished  coolness  and  gallantry  at  the  head  of  his  regiment 
on  this  day,  entitle  him  to  the  particular  notice  of  the  government. 
The  third  Indiana  regiment  under  Colonel  Lane,  and  a  fragment  of 
the  second  under  Colonel  Bowles,  were  associated  with  the  Missis 
sippi  regiment,  during  the  greater  portion  of  the  day,  and  acquitted 
themselves  creditably  in  repulsing  the  attempts  of  the  enemy,  to 
break  that  portion  of  our  line.  The  Kentucky  cavalry  under  Colonel 
Marshall,  rendered  good  service  dismounted,  acting  as  light  troops  on 
our  left,  and  afterward  with  a  portion  of  the  Arkansas  regiment,  in 
meeting  and  dispersing  the  column  of  cavalry  at  Buena  Vista.  The 
first  and  second  Illinois,  and  the  second  Kentucky  regiments,  served 
immediately  under  my  eye,  and  I  bear  a  willing  testimony  to  their 
excellent  conduct  throughout  the  day.  The  spirit  and  gallantry,  with 
which  the  first  Illinois  and  second  Kentucky  engaged  the  enemy  in 
the  morning,  restored  confidence  to  that  part  of  the  field,  while  the 
list  of  casualties  will  show  how  much  these  three  regiments  suffered, 
in  sustaining  the  heavy  charge  of  the  enemy  in  the  afternoon. 
Captain  Conner's  company  of  Texan  volunteers,  attached  to  the 

the  proud  overflowings  of  triumph,  congratulated  him  upon  the  victory.  "  Ah 
General,"  replied  Rough  and  Ready,  "  it's  impossible  to  whip  us  when  we 
all  pull  together." 

*  Here  follows  a  list  of  the  names  of  artillery  officers  who  were  conspicuous 
in  the  battle,  hut  as  we  have  given  most  of  them  in  the  detailed  account,  they 
are  omitted. 


BATTLK  OF  BURN  A  VISTA. 


195 


Death    of    Colonel    Clay. 

second  Illinois  regiment,  fought  bravely,  its  captain  being  wounded, 
and  two  subalterns  killed.  Colonel  Bissell,  the  only  surviving  colonel 
of  these  regiments,  merits  notice  for  his  coolness  and  bravery  on  this 
occasion." 

The  General  also  speaks  in  high  terms  of  the  medical  officers, 
and  the  members  of  General  Wool's  staff  and  of  his  own. 

The  death  of  the  many  distinguished  officers  who  fell  in  this  battle, 
is  thus  described  by  one  who  shared  their  trials  and  dangers : 

"  Our  officers  were  always  in  the  advance  leading  their  troops  ; 
hence  the  great  mortality  among  them.  One  of  our  small  regiments 
of  four  hundred  men,  would  be  attacked  by  a  whole  Mexican  bri 
gade  of  several  thousand.  Thus  the  Kentucky  infantry  was  attacked 
at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  in  a  deep  ravine,  by  an  immense  force  of  the 
enemy. 

A  large  number  of  officers  was  killed  here ;  among  them  was 
Colonel  McKee,  who  fell  badly  wounded,  and  was  immediately 


196  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

despatched  by  the  enemy,  who  pierced  him  with  their  bayonets, 
as  he  lay  on  the  ground.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clay  was  shot 
through  the  thigh,  and  being  unable  to  walk,  was  taken  up  and 
carried  some  distance,  by  some  of  his  men,  but  owing  to  the  steep 
ness  of  the  hill,  the  men  finding  it  very  difficult  to  carry  him,  and 
the  enemy  in  great  numbers  pressing  upon  them,  the  gallant  lieu 
tenant-colonel  begged  them  to  leave  him  and  take  care  of  themselves. 
Forced  to  leave  him  on  the  field,  the  last  that  was  seen  of  this 
noble  young  officer,  he  was  lying  on  his  back,  fighting  with  his 
sword,  the  enemy,  who  were  stabbing  him  with  their  bayonets.* 
The  veteran,  Captain  William  S.  Willis,  of  the  same  regiment,  at 
the  head  of  his  company,  with  three  stalwart  sons,  who  fought  at 
his  side,  was  badly  wounded,  but  still  continued  the  fight,  until  he 
was  overcome  with  the  loss  of  blood. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Indiana  brigade  diplaying  some  hesitation, 
Assistant  Adjutant-General  Lincoln  rushed  to  their  front,  and  whilst 
upbraiding  them  for  their  cowardice,  was  shot,  several  balls  passing 
through  his  body. 

The  intrepid  Colonel  Hardin,  like  Colonels  McKee  and  Clay, 
was  killed  by  the  enemy — not,  however,  before  he  had  killed  one 
of  them  with  a  pistol,  which  he  fired  whilst  lying  on  the  ground. 

Colonel  Yell  led  a  charge  of  his  mounted  volunteers,  against  a 

*  Lieutenant-Colonel  HENRY  CLAY  was  the  second,  and  not  the  eldest  son 
of  the  Hon.  Henry  Clay,  as  the  papers  represent.  Mr.  Clay's  eldest  son  is 
Thomas  H.  Clay,  Esq.,  who  resides  on  a  farm  near  Lexington,  Kentucky. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Clay  was  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  where  he  took  the 
first  honors.  He  afterwards  left  the  army,  travelled  in  Europe,  married,  set 
tled  on  a  farm,  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the  Kentucky  legislature,  in 
which  he  always  occupied  an  honorable  station.  Some  years  ago  he  lost  his 
beautiful  and  accomplished  wife,  which  caused  great  grief  to  her  distinguished 
father-in-law,  who  was  at  that  time  a  senator  in  congress.  When  he  was  ap 
pointed  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Kentucky  rifles,  he  was  engaged  iu  the  prac 
tice  of  the  law  in  Louisville.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  fine  intellect,  accomplished 
manners,  chivalrous  character,  and  entirely  worthy  of  his  noble  sire. 

Lieutenant  EDWAHD  M.  VAU(T»AN,  adjutant  of  the  Kentucky  cavalry,  who 
fell  at  Buena  Vista,  was  a  native  of  Fayette  county,  in  that  state,' and,  as  he 
once  informed  us,  the  son  of  the  first  female  born  in  the  state.  He  was  a 
talented  member  of  the  legal  profession,  and  was  engaged  in  practice  at  Lex 
ington  at  the  time  he  was  elected  adjutant  of  the  Kentucky  cavalry.  He  was 
a  man  of  noble  character,  elevated  principles,  daring  courage,  and  blameless 
life. 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  197 

large  body  of  lancers,  and  was  killed  by  a  lance,  which  entered  his 
mouth  and  tore  off  one  side  of  his  face."* 

These  instances  of  the  gallantry  of  our  officers,  in  sacrificing 
their  lives,  are  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  whole.  As  a  general 
rule  they  were  foremost  in  the  charge ;  and  in  many  instances 
officers  were  killed  thirty  and  even  sixty  yards  in  advance  of  their 
respective  columns.  With  such  commanders  to  lead  them,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  men  should  have  exhibited  a  degree  of  firmness 
hardly  ever  evinced  before  by  militia  in  their  first  battle.  If  we 
recur  to  the  history  of  the  American  revolution  and  the  war  of  1812, 
we  shall  find  that  militia  men  almost  invariably  recoiled  at  the 
first  fire,  and  frequently  battles  were  lost  by  their  want  of  firmness  ; 
but  in  this  battle  the  volunteers  faltered  in  only  a  few  instances,  and 
that  in  the  presence  of  an  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy,  and 

*  The  New  Orleans  Delta,  of  March  24th,  makes  the  following  remarks  on 
this  subject  : 

The  list  of  killed  and  wounded  on  the  American  side,  in  the  bloody  fight  at 
Buena  Vista,  is  a  mournful  proof  of  the  ferocity  and  violence  which  charac 
terized  this  severe  conflict,  and  a  sad  testimonial  of  the  chivalry  and  fearlessness 
of  American  soldiery.  Sixty-five  commissioned  officers  killed  and  wounded  in 
so  small  an  army,  exhibits  a  proportion  and  result  unparalleled  in  the  history 
of  war.  Estimating  General  Taylor's  force  at  five  thousand  rank  and  file,  and 
allowing  one  commissioned  officer  to  twenty  men,  the  startling  conclusion  is 
arrived  at,  that  our  loss  in  this  sanguinary  engagement,  of  commissioned  officers, 
amounted  to  one-fourth  of  the  whole  numbef  in  the  field.  If  the  loss  of  the 
rank  and  file  were  in  like  proportion  to  that  of  officers,  it  would  exceed  twelve 
hundred.  In  view  of  such  terrible  results  as  these,  Santa  Anna  approached  as 
near  the  truth,  melancholy  as  it  is,  as  he  ever  did,  when  he  said  that  both  armies 
were  cut  up.  77ie  loss  of  the  Mexican!  can  scarcely  be  exaggerated  when  it 
is  put  down  at  four  thousand.  Santa  Anna  must  have  had  with  him  at  least 
seventeen  thousand  men.  When  we  last  heard  from  him  previous  to  the  battle, 
he  was  at  San  Fernando,  waiting  for  all  the  various  detachments  of  his  armv  to 
assemble  preparatory  to  his  attack.  This  was  on  the  17th,  and  the  attack  was 
fixed  for  the  21st.  Now,  as  Santa  Anna  knew  exactly  Taylor's  situation  and 
force,  he  would  certainly  not  attack  him  until  he  had  collected  all  his  avail 
able  troops,  and  these  we  know,  allowing  for  desertion  and  for  a  corps  de  reserve, 
could  not  have  fallen  short  of  seventeen  thousand,  as  he  left  San  Luis  with 
twenty-three  thousand.  If,  then,  with  such  a  force  as  this,  after  a  two  days'  hard 
fight,  and  after  inflicting  upon  General  Taylor  so  heavy  a  loss,  he  is  compelled 
to  withdraw  twenty  miles  to  the  rear,  the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that  he  has 
sustained  a  prodigious  loss,  and  is  irretrievably  beaten.  The  army  of  General 
Taylor  may  be  considered  as  reduced  at  least  one-third  by  casualties  and  by 
details  to  take  care  of  the  wounded.  This  would  leave  but  about  three  thousand 
men  to  hold  his  position,  and  we  know  he  did  hold  it  for  several  days  after  the 
action  undisturbed  by  the  enemy. 


198 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TA  i  LOU. 


after  sustaining  many  vollies  of  musketry  and  grape  shot.  This 
result  is  duo  to  the  previous  faithful  discipline  of  General  Wool 
and  the  other  veterans  who  had  been  for  some  months  engaged  in 
preparing  the  volunteers  for  service  on  the  battle  field.  The  severe 
discipline  of  General  Wool  was  extremely  unpalatable  to  the  volun 
teers  before  this  battle  took  place  ;  but  after  the  battle  they  were 
sensible  that  it  was  to  this  alone  they  owed  their  success ;  and  they 
formally  thanked  him  for  the  discipline  of  which  they  had  previ 
ously  complained. 


L1EUTBNAT  COLONEL  C.  A    MAY, 

From  a  Daguerreotype  liy  Van  I^oiin. 


Mexicans    Wounded    at    Buena   Vista. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

battle  of  2$uena 


HE  following  is  Santa  Anna's  detailed 
report  of  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista  : 


^IXO  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 

Gen.  in  Chief,  Campaign,  Secretary's  Office. 

MOST  EXCELLKNT  SIH  :—  In  my  de 
spatch  from  the  battle  field  of  Angostura, 
dated  the  23d,  I  promised  to  give  you 
details  of  the  action  of  the  22d,  and  the 
battle  of  the  23d,  so'  soon  as  I  should 
effect  the  movement  which  our  entire  lack 
of  water  and  of  all  supplies  made  indis 

pensable.  In  those  engagements  the  army  and  the  nation  have 

190 


200  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

restored  the  lustre  of  their  arms,  by  overcoming  obstacles  incon 
ceivable  to  all,  save  those  who  witnessed  them.  These  arose 
not  only  from  the  difficulties  of  this  contest  and  of  our  own  situa 
tion,  but  also  from  the  rigour  of  the  season,  and  the  exhaustion  of 
the  country,  along  an  almost  desert  route  of  over  fifty  leagues,  that 
was  destitute  of  good  water,  and  of  all  save  the  most  limited  sup 
plies. 

The  supreme  government  was  informed  by  communications 
made  before  my  leaving  San  Luis,  that  the  army  under  my  com 
mand  would  not  commence  its  operations  till  the  end  of  winter,  as 
I  knew  by  experience  the  severe  climate  of  the  region,  which  was 
also  scant  of  habitations,  provisions,  shelter,  and  even  of  fuel.  I, 
therefore,  resolved  to  go  on  organizing,  drilling,  arming,  and  clothing 
the  army ;  and  in  a  word,  to  put  into  a  military  shape  the  forces 
which  had  just  been  assembled.  My  intentions,  however,  could  not 
be  maturely  realized. 

The  want  of  pecuniary  resources  embarrassed  all  my  disposi 
tions.  The  soldiers,  though  well  disposed  to  combat  with  the  enemy, 
had  been  badly  supplied  for  a  month,  and  would  soon  have  been 
in  want  even  of  food,  but  that  the  exertions  of  the  commanders  of  corps 
prevented  that  destitution  from  driving  them  to  their  ranks.  While 
those  meritorious  men  were  suffering  all  kinds  of  privation,  certain 
writers  from  ignorance,  want  of  reflection,  party  spirit,  or,  perhaps, 
from  mistaken  patriotism,  were  zealously  engaged  in  thwarting  the 
plans  which  might  otherwise  have  proved  successful.  This  they 
did  by  unjust  charges  against  the  army,  and  particular  individuals 
whom  they  abused  for  not  marching  to  the  conflict,  accusing  them 
of  want  of  decision,  and  asserting  that  the  position  of  the  army 
at  San  Luis  was  more  threatening  to  our  liberties  than  to  the  enemy. 
In  the  clubs  of  that  capital  they  labored  with  assiduity  to  make  the 
army  the  instrument  of  a  revolt ;  but  I  frustrated  their  intrigues  by 
timely  steps.  There  was  one  writer  who  had  the  audacity  to  inti 
mate  that  I  was  in  collusion  with  the  enemy.  Yes,  I,  to  whom  they 
may  attribute  errors,  but  whose  whole  previous  course  has  shown 
the  most  elevated  patriotism  !  Traitors  are  they  who  seek  not  only 
to  traduce  me,  but  by  their  detraction  of  the  army,  to  unnerve  its 
vigour  for  the  service  of  the  country.  It  seems  as  if  a  fatality,  directs 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  201 

the  destinies  of  this  nation,  and  interdicts  a  unanimity  of  the  public 
will  for  its  defence  ;  and  from  this  fatal  blindness,  the  moment  when 
every  heart  and  every  aspiration  should  be  directed  to  one  object, 
is  the  very  juncture  when  division  and  distrust  are  disseminated. 
Behold  me  then,  compelled  by  every  circumstance  to  change  my 
plans.  Desertion  had  already  commenced  to  a  shameful  extent ; 
and  I  was  fully  persuaded  that  if  the  scarcity  should  continue,  the 
army  would  be  dishonorably  frittered  away.  I,  therefore,  resolved 
that  if  annihilated,  it  should  be  with  glory.  Having  no  supplies, 
I,  to  obtain  them,  compromittcd  my  private  fortune,  and  the  credit 
of  myself  and  friends.  All  this  procured  me  the  sum  of  one  hun 
dred  and  eighty  thousand  dollars,  with  which  I  was  able  to  furnish 
the  needful  supplies  to  the  army,  for  twelve  days.  I  knew  well 
the  country  we  had  to  cross  and  the  necessity  there  would  be  for 
carrying  provisions  :  and  I  sympathized  in  anticipation  with  the 
soldier,  for  what  he  would  endure  from  the  rigour  of  the  season ; 
but  to  render  good  service  to  the  country  and  save  its  honor,  I  had 
to  overlook  all  this. 

The  army  moved  from  San  Luis  by  brigades,  so  as  to  render 
available  the  scanty  resources  afforded  by  the  country  we  were  to 
cross.  The  force  consisted  of  13,432  infantry,  divided  into  twenty- 
eight  battalions  ;  4,338  cavalry,  in  thirty-nine  squadrons,  and  a 
train  of  artillery  of  three  twenty-four  pounders,  three  sixteen 
pounders,  five  twelve  pounders,  five  eight  pounders,  and  a  seven 
inch  howitzer ;  all  served  by  four  hundred  and  thirteen  artillery 
men;  the  total  being  18,133  men.  Of  this  force  there  remained 
behind  the  garrison  of  the  works  at  San  Luis,  and  others  which  I 
allotted  to  the  towns  on  the  route ;  as  also  two  squadrons  to  escort 
our  small  and  only  reserve  of  ammunition  ;  a  brigade  of  infantry  of 
two  battalions,  under  General  Ciriaco  Vasquez,  which  remained  as 
a  corps  of  reserve,  in  Matehuala,  and  of  observation  upon  Tula ;  as 
also  a  brigade  of  cavalry,  under  General  Don  Jose  Urrea.  The 
latter  was  intended  to  pass  Tula  and  move  through  Tamaulipas  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Monterey,  so  as  to  call  the  enemy's  attention 
to  that  quarter.  The  point  of  concentration  for  the  brigades  ought 
necessarily  to  be  near  this  place,  so  that  in  the  region  through 
which  they  had  to  move,  many  troops  might  not  be  at  once  thrown 

26 


202  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

together.  I  therefore  fixed  on  the  hacienda  of  Encarnacion,  for 
that  point,  it  being,  as  I  calculated,  the  last  stage  but  one  of  my 
march.  I  there  held  a  review  of  the  arrny,  which  had  already  lost 
a  thousand  men,  by  sickness  and  desertion.  The  former  was  caused 
by  the  scantiness  and  bad  quality  of  food,  and  still  more  of  water, 
which  was  brackish  as  well  as  scarce,  as  also  by  snow  storms  and 
the  exposure  of  the  troops  who  had  always  been  in  bivouac  and 
without  fuel.  These  snow  storms  obliged  me  to  suspend  the  march 
two  days,  till  the  weather  became  more  settled  ;  for  the  cold  had 
already  caused  the  death  of  several  men  and  horses,  and  I  felt  bound 
by  every  means  to  diminish  the  losses  we  were  incurring.  These 
hardships  will  account  for  the  number  of  desertions  which  oc 
curred  up  to  our  arrival  at  Encarnacion,  and  which  afterwards  even 
increased.  It  must  also  be  remembered  that  almost  the  whole  army 
had  been  recently  formed,  and  as  is  well  known,  of  men  taken  by 
violence  from  their  homes. 

We  had  advices  that  the  enemy  were  fortified  in  the  haci 
enda  of  Agua  Nuevn,  with  six  thousand  men  and  thirty  pieces, 
resolved  to  defend  the  defiles  known  by  the  names  of  the  passes 
of  Carnero  and  Agua  Nueva.  The  Americans  did  not  know  the 
precise  point  to  which  our  march  was  directed,  for  though  they 
exchanged  some  shots  with  our  advance  in  'Encarnacion,  and  had 
frequent  small  skirmishes  with  us  in  the  above  passes,  they  sup 
posed  our  troops  to  be  scouting  parlies  of  the  first  brigade  of  cavalry, 
under  Don  Jose  V.  Minon,  whom  I  had  advanced  as  far  as  the 
hacienda  of  Potosi.  These  were  the  impressions  when  I  made 
my  dispositions. 

It  was  my  intention  to  place  my  forces  between  the  enemy  and 
Saltillo,  so  as  to  oblige  him  to  fight  under  the  disadvantage  of  having 
his  communication  cut  off,  or,  if  he  would  not  leave  his  works,  to 
enable  me  to  besiege  him  in  Agua  Nueva.  This  plan  might  be 
carried  out  in  three  different  ways.  One  was  by  marching  twenty- 
leagues  by  the  direct  road,  another  by  moving  to  the  right  by  La 
Hedionda,  so  as  to  occupy  Buena  Vista;  and  the  third  by  moving 
to  the  left  by  La  Punta  de  Santa  Elena,  so  as  to  occupy  the  haci 
enda  of  La  Banqueria,  and  thereafter  the  road  to  Saltillo.  The  two 
last  movements  were  at  this  time  impracticable,  for  they  would 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  203 

either  of  them  require  three  or  four  days'  march,  while  we  were 
without  provisions,  forage,  or  water.  I,  therefore,  resolved  to  ope 
rate  by  the  direct  road,  force  the  positions,  and  after  passing  the  last 
defile,  make  a  diversion  by  the  left  and  occupy  the  rancho  of  En- 
cantada,  with  the  view  of  obtaining  water,  none  of  which  was  to  be 
had  for  more  than  eighteen  leagues.  All  this  was  favored  by  the 
enemy's  ignorance  of  our  march  ;  hut  misfortune  still  followed  us. 
A  deserter  from  the  regiment  of  Coraceros,  a  native  of  Saltillo, 
named  Francisco  Valdes,  passed  over  from  Encarnacion  to  the  enemy, 
and  gave  him  information  of  the  movement.  The  execrable  treason 
of  this  infamous  wretch,  frustrated  the  best  combinations. 

On,  the  21st,  at  noon,  I  ordered  the  march  to  commence,  the 
four  light  battalions,  under  General  Don  Pedro  Ampudia,  forming 
the  vanguard.  I  had  not  hesitated  to  allow  that  general  and  other 
officers  who  had  been  court  martialcd  for  the  affair  of  Monterey,  to 
participate  in  these  operations,  not  only  because  I  did  not  consider 
them  culpable,  but  also  on  account  of  the  zeal  they  manifested. 
This  brigade  was  followed  by  one  of  artillery,  of  sixteen  pounders, 
with  regiments  of  engineers  and  their  train,  and  those  by  the  park 
of  the  regiment  of  hussars.  Then  came  the  first  division  com 
manded  by  General  Don  Manuel  Lombardini,  with  four  twelve 
pounders,  and  the  park.  The  second  division,  under  General  Don 
Francisco  Pacheco,  followed  next  with  four  eight  pounders  and 
their  park.  After  these  the  whole  of  the  cavalry,  under  Don  Ju 
lian  Juvera ;  and  then  the  remainder  of  the  general  park  and  bag 
gage,  the  rear  being  covered  by  a  brigade  of  cavalry,  under  General 
Don  Manuel  Audrade. 

In  this  order  of  march  the  troops  were  ordered  to  make  the  first 
fourteen  leagues,  between  Encenada  and  a  plain  called  De  la  Guerra, 
which  is  in  front  of  the  first  defile,  called  the  pass  of  the  Pinones ; 
and  to  pass  the  night  on  that  plain  in  the  same  order  of  column. 
The  troops  having  eaten  their  rations,  order  was  given  for  carry 
ing  water,  as  none  could  be  met  with  till  the  day  following,  after 
having  overcome  the  enemy  at  Agua  Nueva,  three  leagues  beyond 
the  aforesaid  pass.  I,  with  my  staff  and  a  regiment  of  engineers, 
occupied  the  front,  a  little  behind  the  light  troops.  On  arriving  on 
the  plain  De  la  Guerra,  I  continued  the  march  in  order  to  pass  the 


204  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

defile  of  Pinones,  which  was  accomplished,  and  I  ordered  the  light 
brigade  to  take  a  position  in  the  pass  of  Carnero,  where  it  had  a 
skirmish  with  an  advance  of  the  enemy.  Under  these  dispositions 
we  passed  the  night. 

At  dawn  on  the  22d,  the  army  continued  its  march,  with  the  idea 
of  carrying  by  force  of  arms  the  pass  of  Agua  Nueva,  which  I  sup 
posed  would  be  defended  by  the  enemy  ;  but  I  found  to  my  surprise 
that  it  was  abandoned.  I  then  concluded  that  the  American  forces, 
had  retired  to  their  fortifications  in  the  hacienda,  to  concentrate  their 
defence  under  cover  of  the  intrenchments,  which  I  had  heard  they 
had  there  thrown  up.  Under  this  idea  I  continued  the  march  in 
order  to  turn  by  the  right  to  the  rancho  of  Encantada,  which,  as  I 
have  before  mentioned,  is  on  the  Saltillo  road,  being  between  that 
city  and  Agua  Nueva,  and  four  or  five  leagues  from  each.  Till  that 
time  no  one  had  appeared  to  give  me  information,  nor  did  any  one 
after,  except  a  servant  from  Agua  Nueva,  who  told  me  that  the 
enemy  had  been  evacuating  his  position  since  the  day  previous,  and 
falling  back  towards  Saltillo ;  and  that  on  that  same  morning,  the 
hacienda  had  been  wholly  abandoned  by  the  retreat  of  a  small  detach 
ment  which  escorted  a  large  quantity  of  munitions.  By  this  move 
ment  my  first  plans  and  dispositions,  founded  on  an  expected 
resistance,  were  rendered  abortive ;  but  I  still  did  not  despair  of  a 
successful  result,  for  I  had  in  anticipation,  directed  General  Minon 
with  his  cavalry  brigade  1200  strong,  to  occupy  on  the  morning  of 
the  22d,  the  hacienda  of  Buena  Vista,  distant  three  short  leagues 
from  Saltillo.  This  force  might  arrest  the  enemy's  march,  or,  at 
least,  make  a  diversion  that  would  give  time  for  the  army  to  come 
up.  I  therefore  continued  my  march  without  losing  more  time  than 
would  allow  the  soldiers  to  drink  water  on  the  road.  The  light 
brigade  came  within  sight  of  the  enemy's  rear  guard,  and  I  ordered 
them  to  charge  in  conjunction  with  the  hussar  regiment.  I  had 
reason  to  believe  the  enemy  were  making  a  precipitate  retreat,  as 
they  left  several  articles  on  the  road,  such  as  carts,  forge  implements, 
extra  wheels  and  other  things  which  we  gathered  while  marching. 
In  consequence  of  the  different  reports  I  received,  I  ordered  the 
cavalry  to  advance  ;  I  thought  we  would  be  able  to  reach  their  rear 
guard,  and  placed  myself  at  the  head  of  those  troops. 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  205 

On  arriving  at  a  place  called  Angostura,  I  found  the  main  body  of 
the  enemy  awaiting  me  in  position.  The  road  from  the  pass  of 
Pinones  to  Saltillo  runs  between  two  chains  of  mountains,  which 
form  that  pass  and  those  of  Carnero  and  Agua  Nueva.  The  ridges 
open  beyond  that  hacienda,  and  approach  each  other  again  at  Angos 
tura,  where  the  road  turns  to  the  right.  At  this  place  there  is  a  suc 
cession  of  ridges,  which  run  out  toward  the  line  of  our  route,  and  at 
right  angles  with  it,  and  between  them  are  ravines  which  form  the 
drains  of  the  mountains  on  the  right.  They  are  all  more  or  less 
passable,  but  all  very  difficult.  The  enemy's  position  was  in  front 
and  in  rear  of  the  road,  his  right  and  front  being  covered  by  ravines 
that  were  impassable,  even  for  infantry,  and  a  battery  of  four  pieces 
being  planted  on  the  highest  point.  His  battalions  were  formed  on 
the  heights,  with  two  other  batteries,  one  of  which  was  in  a  low  part 
of  the  road  between  two  hills  ;  and,  to  my  view,  their  forces  appeared 
to  be  about  8000  men,  with  twenty  pieces  ;  but  the  prisoners  taken 
from  them  report  twenty-six  pieces,  and  upwards  of  8000  combatants. 

1  reconnoitred  the  position  and  situation  of  the  enemy,  and 
ordered  the  director  of  engineers,  General  Don  Ignacio  de  Mora  y 
Villamil,  to  do  the  same.  After  ascertaining  the  force  of  the  invader, 
it  was  necessary  either  to  await  the  infantry  to  take  position,  or  to 
fight,  as  might  seem  most  advisable.  At  this  interval  I  observed 
that  the  enemy  had  neglected  to  occupy  a  height  on  his  left  flank  ; 
and  without  losing  a  moment  I  ordered  General  Ampudia's  light 
brigade  to  take  possession  of,  and  hold  it  at  every  cost.  As  the 
brigade  came  up,  I  found  them  in  two  lines  on  a  rising  ground,  that 
fronted  the  enemy,  there  being  another  eminence  between  our  two 
positions.  The  first  division  of  infantry  was  under  the  command 
of  General  Lombardini,  and  the  second  under  the  command  of 
General  Pacheco.  I  directed  that  General  Mora  y  Villamil,  in  con 
junction  with  the  commanding  general  of  artillery,  Don  Antonio 
Corona,  should  find  a  position  for  a  battery  of  sixteen  pounders,  to 
be  sustained  by  the  regiment  of  engineers.  Two  other  batteries  of 
twelve  and  eight  pounders  were  located  by  me.  The  cavalry  com 
manded  by  General  Juvera,  were  placed  on  the  right  of  our  rear, 
and  on  our  left  flank.  The  regiment  of  hussars  was  also  posted  in  the 
rear,  and  on  the  flank  aforesaid  was  a  height,  which  I  ordered  the 


206  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

battalion  of  Leon  to  occupy.  The  general  park  was  in  the  rear, 
covered  by  the  brigade  of  General  Andrade,  and  between  this  park 
and  the  lines  of  battle,  I  took  my  own  position. 

The  making  of  these  dispositions,  as  may  be  supposed,  occupied 
some  time,  for  the  troops  arrived  at  their  positions  after  a  march  of 
more  than  twenty  leagues.  It  was  therefore  not  an  hour  for  combat, 
and  the  army  lay  on  its  arms.  The  enemy,  however,  as  soon  as  he  per 
ceived  that  we  had  occupied  the  height  that  flanked  his  left  and  our 
right,  despatched  two  battalions  to  dislodge  us,  which  led  to  a  warm 
engagement,  that  lasted  all  the  afternoon  and  till  after  dark,  when  he 
was  repulsed  with  the  loss  of  400  men,  according  to  the  report  of  the 
prisoners.  Ours  was  much  less,  as  we  had  the  advantages,  of  the 
ground. 

At  dawn,  on  the  23d,  I  mounted  my  horse ;  the  enemy  had 
not  changed  his  previous  dispositions,  and  was  ready  to  receive 
us.  I  observed  but  one  difference,  which  was  that  on  his  right,  and 
at  some  distance  from  his  position,  he  had  formed  two  bodies  of 
infantry,  with  a  battery  of  four  pieces,  as  if  with  the  intent  of  threat 
ening  our  left  flank ;  but  I  at  once  believed  this  to  be  a  mere  demon 
stration,  for  he  would  never  have  left  in  his  rear  the  difficult 
ground  which  gave  strength  to  that  position,  being  the  web  of 
impassable  ravines,  before  referred  to.  I  therefore  gave  no  atten 
tion  to  this  disposition  of  his  forces,  and  resolved  to  move  mine 
by  the  right.  With  this  intention  I  advanced  the  divisions  of  Gen 
eral  Lombardini  and  General  Pacheco,  in  that  direction.  I  ordered 
General  Don  Manuel  Michel toreno  to  plant  the  battery  of  eight 
pounders  on  our  right  flank,  so  as  to  rake  obliquely  the  enemy's 
line,  and  to  remain  with  the  staff  of  which  he  was  chief,  and  await 
my  orders.  I  directed  that  General  Ampudia,  with  the  light  brigade, 
should  charge  by  our  left  flank,  on  the  enemy's  right,  and  that  Gen 
eral  Mora  y  Villamil  should  form  a  column  of  attack,  composed  of 
the  regiment  of  engineers,  the  twelfth  battalion,  ihejijo  de  Mexico, 
and  the  companies  of  Puebla  and  Tampico,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Don  Santiago  Blanco.  At  the  same  time  I  directed  General  Co 
rona,  commanding  the  artillery,  to  place  the  battery  of  twelve 
pounders  in  a  more  commanding  position,  while  the  third  division 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  207 

remained  in  reserve,  under  Brevet  General  Don  Jose  Maria  Or- 
tego. 

As  soon  as  the  enemy  perceived  our  movements  he  commenced 
the  action  at  all  points,  attacked  our  troops  with  intrepidity,  and 
maintained  the  conflict  with  great  vigor.  Our  men  received  them 
with  proper  energy,  driving  back  and  following  up  the  assailants. 
At  this  time  my  horse  was  disabled  by  a  grape  shot,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  I  could  mount  another.  As  the  enemy  had 
yielded  ground,  I  ordered  the  cavalry  to  advance,  and  charge, 
which  was  done  with  vigor.  Suitable  orders  had  been  sent  to  the 
generals  of  division  and  brigade,  among  the  rest  to  General  Don 
Angel  Guzman  ;  but  though  the  officers  and  troops  acted  with 
great  resolution,  it  was  impossible  to  overcome  the  difficulties  of  the 
ground;  and  after  a  struggle  which  did  them  honor,  they  were  obliged 
to  fall  back  to  their  positions.  After  various  alternations  the  same 
occurred  with  the  infantry. 

The  battle,  which  commenced  at  seven  in  the  morning,  was  pro 
longed  for  many  hours,  our  loss  every  moment  accumulating. 
Many  officers  and  soldiers  had  been  killed,  and  a  number  of  com 
manders  and  distinguished  officers  wounded ;  among  whom  were 
General  Lombardini,  Lieutenant-Colonels  Brito,  Galloso,  and  others. 
Among  the  slain  were  Lieutenant-Colonels  Asonos,  Berra,  and 
other  meritorious  officers,  whose  loss  the  country  will  ever  lament. 
The  enemy  maintained  his  ground  with  the  utmost  obstinacy,  inso 
much  that  some  of  our  troops  faltered  in  their  attacks,  and  many 
of  the  raw  recruits  dispersed.  This,  however,  ought  to  exalt  the 
merit  of  those  whose  intrepidity  was  never  paralyzed,  and  may  also 
be  cited  to  show  how  hotly  contested  was  the  action. 

Things  were  in  this  situation  when  I  concluded  to  make  the 
final  effort.  With  this  view  I  ordered  that  a  battery  of  twenty- 
four  pounders  should  be  mounted ;  that  the  column  of  attack  then 
posted  on  our  left  flank,  where  it  had  no  object  of  operation,  should 
be  transferred  to  our  right,  and  there  be  joined  by  the  remains  of 
the  tenth  regiment,  the  battalion  of  Leon,  and  the  reserves,  all 
under  the  command  of  Brevet  General  Don  Francisco  Perez.  I 
executed  this  in  person,  and  afterwards  sent  for  General  Mora  y 
Villamil,  and  made  him  acquainted  with  my  final  dispositions.  I 


208  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

had  already  directed  Generals  Perez  and  Pecheco,  eacli  with  his 
command,  to  be  prepared  for  an  extreme  struggle,  and  had  ordered 
the  battery  of  eight  pounders  to  advance  and  take  the  enemy's  line 
in  flank.  The  charge  was  made  with  daring  valor,  arid  was  resisted 
with  animated  vigor,  with  a  fire  so  heavy  and  rapid  as  to  cause  admi 
ration.  But  the  Americans  could  not  sustain  themselves,  they  were 
driven  back  and  overcome,  with  the  loss  of  three  pieces  of  cannon 
and  as  many  stands  of  colors.  I  sent  two  of  the  latter  to  the  govern 
ment  with  my  last  despatch;  the  other,  which  I  then  omitted  to 
notice,  will  be  presented  to  the  honorable  congress  of  the  state  of 
San  Luis  Potosi,  as  a  testimonial  of  the  army's  gratitude  for  the 
patriotic  services  they  had  rendered,  and  the  generous  sacrifices 
they  had  made  for  its  benefit.  We  moreover  captured  a  travelling 
forge,  and  some  smaller  articles  which  I  will  not  enumerate.  Our 
cavalry  which  so  bravely  executed  the  order  to  charge,  reached 
the  enemy's  rearmost  positions ;  but  owing  to  the  nature  of  the 
ground,  and  the  fatigue  of  the  men  and  horses,  I  did  not  think  it 
prudent  to  attempt  to  dislodge  them  from  those.  The  battle 
closed  at  six  in  the  evening,  our  troops  being  then  formed  on  the 
ground  which  the  Americans  had  occupied.  Our  last  effort  would 
have  been  decisive  if  General  Minon  had  done  his  part  by  attack 
ing  the  enemy  in  the  rear ;  but  he  omitted  to  do  it,  and  I  am  under 
the  painful  necessity  of  subjecting  his  conduct  to  a  court  martial, 
that  he  may  explain  it. 

An  action  thus  contested  necessarily  involved  considerable  loss. 
Ours,  in  killed  and  wounded,  amounted  to  more  than  fifteen  hun 
dred  men,  and  that  of  the  enemy  was  much  greater,  for  we  had 
time  to  take  a  view  of  the  great  number  of  their  dead.* 

The  army  has  done  more  than  could  be  expected  under  the  laws 
of  nature.  It  had  just  been  formed,  and,  as  yet,  had  not  acquired 
discipline  or  military  habits  ;  yet,  in  marching  to  the  combat  it 
overcome  difficulties  which  might  have  subdued  the  stoutest  heart. 
After  a  march  of  twenty  leagues,  sixteen  of  them  without  water, 
and  without  food,  except  a  single  ration,  which  was  dealt  out 

*  We  have  thought  proper  to  omit  the  eulogies  which  the  commander  be 
stows  upon  most  of  his  officers,  as  they  are  subjects  of  interest  to  no  one  but  a 
Mexican. 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  209 

at  Encarnacion,  it  endured  the  fatigue  of  combat  for  two  days,  and 
finally  triumphed.  With  all  this  its  physical  powers  were  ex 
hausted.  My  knowledge  of  this,  and  the  duty  I  felt  of  attending 
to  such  a  number  of  wounded,  constrained  me  after  remaining  a 
few  hours  on  the  field  of  battle,  to  fall  back  upon  Agua  Nueva,  for 
the  relief  and  refreshment  of  the  troops. 

From  the  impression  we  had  made  on  the  enemy,  he  did  not  ap 
pear  before  us  for  three  days.  The  bearer  of  a  flag  of  truce,  however, 
arrived  with  a  proposition  from  General  Taylor  for  an  exchange  of 
prisoners,  and  for  our  sending  for  the  wounded  who  remained  on  the 
field.  He  also  expressed  to  me  the  desire  which  the  Americans 
felt  for  the  re-establishment  of  peace.  1  replied,  in  order  that  he 
might  say  the  same  to  his  general,  that  we  sustained  the  most  sacred 
of  causes — the  defence  of  our  territory,  and  the  preservation  of  our 
nationality  and  rights ;  that  we  were  not  the  aggressors,  and  that  our 
government  had  never  offended  that  of  the  United  States.  I  observed 
that  we  could  say  nothing  of  peace  while  the  Americans  were  on 
this  side  of  the  Bravo,  or  occupied  any  part  of  the  Mexican  territory, 
or  blockaded  our  ports  ;  and  that  we  were  resolved  to  perish  or  vin 
dicate  our  rights  ;  that  fortune  might  not  be  always  favorable  to  the 
enemy,  and  their  experience  of  the  22d  and  23d  should  convince  them 
that  it  could  change.  I  added,  that  the  Americans  waged  against  us 
a  war  of  vandalism,  whose  excesses  outraged  those  sentiments  of 
humanity,  which  one  civilized  nation  ought  to  evince  towards  another ; 
and  that  if  he  would  go  outside  of  the  apartment,  he  would  still  see 
smoking,  which  was  the  fact,  the  dwellings  of  Agua  Nueva,  re 
cently  a  flourishing,  though  a  small  settlement ;  that  the  same  vestiges 
of  desolation  marked  the  route  of  his  retreat ;  and  that  if  he  would  go 
a  little  further  on  to  Catana,  he  would  hear  the  moans  of  the  widows 
and  orphans  of  innocent  victims,  wbo  had  been  sacrificed  without 
necessity. 

With  respect  to  the  wounded,  whom  I  was  invited  to  send  for,  I 
replied  that  there  could  be  none,  save  those  who  had  been  too  much 
hurt  to  rise  from  the  field,  or  those  most  in  the  advance,  who  had  re 
mained  in  the  ravines  ;  and  that  as  1  had  not  means  for  their  convey 
ance,  the  enemy  might  take  them  to  Saltillo,  under  the  protection  of 
the  laws  of  nations.  As  for  the  prisoners  which  he  offered  to  ex- 

27 


210  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

change,  I  told  him  I  did  not  know  who  they  could  be,  unless  it  were 
some  of  our  dispersed  troops,  or  some  who,  from  the  fatigue  of  the 
two  previous  days,  had  remained  asleep  when  we  moved.  In  answer 
to  the  courtesy  the  enemy's  general  had  shown  with  respect  to  our 
wounded,  I  consented  in  the  name  of  the  nation  to  release  all  the  pri 
soners  we  had — those  taken  both  in  the  battle  and  at  Encarnacion.  At 
the  same  time  I  allowed  the  bearer  of  the  flag,  who  was  a  superior 
officer,  of  prepossessing  appearance  and  manners,  to  take  the  bandage 
from  his  eyes,  and  informed  him  that  it  was  for  him  personally,  that 
the  honor  of  this  concession  was  meant.  I  did  it  also  that  he  might 
see  our  camp  and  our  troops. 

As  I  have  said  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  we  remained  at  the 
hacienda  three  days  ;  but  ihe  only  supply  we  could  obtain  was  ninety 
beeves,  and  these  were  consumed  on  the  25th.  The  horses  were  also 
without  forage,  and  notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  for  provisions 
that  I  could  make,  many  of  the  wounded  had  been  but  once  attended 
to,  and  some  not  at  all.  From  the  rigor  of  the  climate,  the  badness  and 
scantiness  of  the  sustenance,  the  entire  want  of  bread,  and  the  bad 
quality  of  the  water  used  in  our  former  bivouacs,  a  diarrhosa  had 
broken  out  in  the  army,  and  rendered  ineffective  at  least  one  half  of 
it.  I  knew  that  a  retrograde  movement  to  our  former  positions  had 
become  inevitable  ;  but  though  every  thing  around  me  proclaimed  this 
necessity,  my  feelings  revolted  against  it,  solely  because  I  foresaw 
that  from  ignorance,  malice  or  presumption,  the  countermarch  would 
be  condemned,  and  that  those  who  did  not  witness  our  situation 
would  imagine  the  possibility  of  the  army's  continuing  its  operations. 

Six  days  before,  when  the  troops  had  not  suffered  so  much,  nor 
fought  for  two  successive  days,  nor  been  embarrassed  with  sick  and 
wounded,  but  were  still  sound  in  morale  and  health,  I  had  not 
deemed  it  prudent  to  augment  the  labors  and  difficulties  of  the  army 
by  moving  to  the  right  or  to  the  left ;  how  then  would  it  have  been 
possible  to  go  on  operating  after  all  that  subsequently  occurred  ?  But 
let  detractors  say  what  they  will,  the  army  as  well  as  myself  will 
always  answer  by  an  appeal  to  our  conduct,  our  wishes,  and  the 
notorious  impossibility  of  carrying  them  out.  Notwithstanding  my 
conviction,  I  wished  to  hear  the  opinion  of  the  generals  and  some  of 
the  commanders  of  corps,  and  to  ascertain  if  they  could  point  out  any 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  211 

resource  which  had  not  occurred  to  me.  Without  disclosing  my 
own  ideas  on  the  subject,  I  listened  to  theirs,  and  they  all  unani 
mously,  and  each  one  by  his  opinion  separately  expressed,  showed 
and  demonstrated  in  various  ways,  that  however  good  their  will  to 
remain,  the  countermarch  of  the  army  had  become  indispensable,  but 
that  this  necessity  was  not  forced  upon  us  by  the  enemy.  It  was 
not  till  I  had  heard  their  opinions,  that  I  announced  my  own  accord 
ant  resolution,  and  the  proceedings  of  the  council  being  drawn  up, 
I  had  the  honor  of  remitting  them  to  your  excellency  on  the  25th. 

On  the  26th,  after  I  had  ordered  General  Minon  to  follow  the 
movement,  the  army  commenced  its  retreat,  with  a  view  of  occupy 
ing  the  first  peopled  localities  where  resources  might  be  obtained, 
such  as  Vanegas,  Catorce,  El  Cadral  and  Matehuala,  as  also  Tula ; 
but  I  doubt  if  in  those  places  proper  attention  can  be  given  to  the 
sick  and  wounded ;  or  the  losses  we  have  sustained  in  those  labo 
rious  movements  be  remedied. 

The  nation  for  which  a  triumph  has  been  gained  at  the  cost  of  so 
many  sufferings,  will  learn  that  if  we  were  able  to  conquer  in  the 
midst  of  so  many  embarrassments,  there  will  be  no  doubt  as  to  our 
final  success  in  the  struggle  we  sustain,  if  every  spirit  but  rallies  to 
the  one  sacred  object  of  common  defence.  A  more  determined  body 
of  men,  will  not  as  many  imagine  suffice  for  the  prosecution  of  war  ; 
it  is  indispensable  that  they  be  armed,  equipped,  disciplined  and 
habituated,  and  that  a  systematized  support  for  such  an  organized 
force  be  provided.  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  we  have  to  combat 
in  a  region  deficient  of  all  resources,  and  that  every  tiling  for  sub 
sistence  has  to  be  carried  along  with  the  soldiery.  The  good  will  of 
a  few  will  not  suffice,  but  the  co-operation  of  all  is  needed  ;  and  if  we 
do  not  cast  aside  selfish  interests  and  petty  passions,  we  can  expect 
nothing  but  disaster.  The  army  and  myself  who  have  led  it,  have 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  we  have  demonstrated  this  truth. 

Your  excellency  will  be  pleased  to  report  to  his  excellency  the 
vice-president  of  the  republic,  and  to  present  to  him  my  assurance 
of  respect. 

God  and  Liberty  !   Rancho  de  San  Salvador,  February  27th,  1847. 

(Signed)  ANTONIO  LOPEZ  DE  SANTA  ANNA. 

To  his  Excellency  the  MINISTEU  OF  WAE  AND  MAHINE, 


212  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

As  every  thing  relating  to  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  must  be  inter 
esting  to  the  reader,  we  subjoin  some  extracts  from  Mexican  private 
letters,  which  soon  obtained  publicity,  and  were  disseminated  through 
out  every  province  of  Mexico, 

"  We  have  taken  the  fortifications  of  the  enemy  and  four  of  his 
positions,  which  he  defended  with  obstinacy,  and  every  height  and 
every  ravine,  of  which  he  furiously  disputed.  We  have  lost  many 
field  and  other  officers,  out  of  proportion  to  the  number  of  soldiers,  and 
we  have  taken  from  the  enemy  two  flags  and  three  pieces  of  artil 
lery.  There  are  very  few  prisoners — four,  I  believe — the  rest  are 
dead. 

Our  troops  are  perishing  from  hunger  and  thirst.  They  have 
not  drank  water  in  two  days,  and  have  eaten  nothing  since  the  day 
they  were  at  Encarnacion,  and  a  slice  of  roasted  meat  at  la  Vaca. 

I  am  much  afraid  lest  this  cause  should  disperse  us  to-night, 
since  the  soldiers  are  already  scattering ;  and  we  have  seen  bodies 
of  them  fighting  and  charging  upon  the  enemy  wherever  they  thought 
there  was  water,  caring  for  nothing ;  and  we  have  seen  them  dis 
puting  among  themselves,  totally  indifferent  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy, 
for  a  piece  of  ham,  found  upon  the  dead  Yankees.  This  night  is 
a  fearful  one  for  the  republic,  since  I  dread  lest  we  should  become 
disbanded.  In  conclusion,  dear  friend,  there  now  remains  but  little 
to  be  done,  because  we  have  been  pursuing  the  enemy  all  day  long, 
with  the  bayonet,  and  to-morrow  they  will  be  finished.  They  killed 
the  horse  of  the  general-in-chief  with  a  grape  shot." 

Postcript,  dated 24th. — "Since  closing  my  letter,  the  general-iri- 
chief  has  ordered  the  army  to  Agua  Nueva,  where  there  are  some 

cattle  and  water — water,  which  is  before  every  thing  else 

We  have  lost  about  a  thousand  men,  and  many  officers  killed  and 
wounded,  and  our  Lombardini  among  the  rest.'* 

From  a  letter,  Feb.  24th. — "  We  have  gained  a  bloody  battle, 
and  taken  from  the  enemy  standards  and  artillery.  They  have 
come  to  demand  a  peace,  and  they  have  been  answered  by  the  gen 
eral-in-chief,  that  '  until  the  whole  republic  is  evacuated  by  them  he 
will  not  listen  to  them.'  ' 

Private  letter,  Feb.  23d. — **  We  are  returning  from  Angostura, 
where  we  beat  Taylor  all  day  yesterday,  taking  from  them  many 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  213 

points  among  the  heights,  almost  inaccessible,  and  doing  so  repeat 
edly,  until  our  troops  remained  at  night  established  in  the  position 
from  which  we  had  driven  them  by  main  force.  We  took  from 
them  three  guns  and  killed  many  of  their  troops 

To-day  a  flag  of  truce  has  come  in  from  Taylor,  asking  peace. 
D.  Antonio  commanded  the  eyes  of  the  officer  to  be  unbandaged, 
that  he  might  see  our  camp,  and  that  if  we  had  countermarched  it 
was  for  want  of  supplies,  and  not  for  want  of  courage." 

Upon  the  reception  of  Santa  Anna's  letter,  the  governor  of  San 
Luis  Potosi  issued  the  following  proclamation  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Mexico.  Both  the  style  and  sentiment  of  this  document  render  it 
a  curiosity. 

GOVERNOR'S  ADDRESS. 

FELLOW  COUNTRYMEN  : — Our  army  under  the  orders  of  his  ex 
cellency  Buenmerito  de  la  Patria,  Don  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa 
Anna,  with  heroic  valor,  overcoming  the  afflictions  of  the  most  fright 
ful  suffering,  struggling  against  the  nature  of  the  ground,  and  even 
nature  herself,  which  appeared  to  dispute  the  victory  with  us.  Our 
army  has  severely  punished  our  common  enemy  on  the  22d  and 
23d  instants.  It  has  covered  itself  with  glory.  Its  illustrious 
commander  has  given  new  fame  to  his  country  ;  he  has  reconquered 
its  independence,  so  perfidiously  and  vilely  menaced.  The  pride 
of  the  North  Americans  has  been  humiliated,  and  our  army  has 
restored  the  national  honor,  outraged  at  Resaca  and  Monterey.  The 
republic  commences  to-day  an  advance  which  will  make  it  respected 
abroad,  and  which  will  bear  it  on  without  doubt  to  that  immortality 
destined  for  free  and  independent  nations.  Our  immense  territory 
usurped  by  this  vile  and  detested  horde,  will  be  restored  to  us  intact ; 
not  a  single  vile  foot-print  shall  dare  pollute  our  soil,  and  the  hero, 
the  genius,  the  man  whom  Heaven  has  bestowed  upon  us  as  a 
precious  gift,  and  the  afflictions  of  the  country  will  very  soon  com 
plete  the  sublime  enterprise  which  he  has  commenced.  Union, 
fellow-countrymen !  Eternal  gratitude  to  the  illustrious  renowned 
and  well  deserving  President,  General  Don  Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa 
Anna,  and  the  invincible  army  which  is  fighting  under  his  orders, 
in  defence  of  our  dearest  interests.  RAMCN  ADAMO. 

San  Luis  Potosi,  Feb.  27,  1847. 


214  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Concerning  the  merits  of  this  battle,  we  subjoin  the  remarks  of 
a  gentleman  in  Mexico,  one  who  seems  to  have  the  ability  to  weigh 
calmly  and  impartially  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  it. 

"  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  that  the  battle  of  *  Buena  Vista'  is  con 
sidered  by  many,  if  not  the  greater  portion  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  as  an  affair  of  no  very  great  importance  in  these  war 
like  times,  but  that  it  was  a  matter  of  every  day  occurrence,  and, 
therefore,  not  much  to  be  admired  or  wondered  at. 

In  order  that  these  persons  may  be  undeceived,  I  hope  I  shall  be 
able  to  show,  from  a  few  FACTS  which  1  have  gathered  within  the 
last  four  months,  connected  with  this  subject,  (having  had  some 
considerable  knowledge  of  the  Mexican  character  before,)  that  it 
was  an  affair  of  some  little  consequence,  and  of  rather  vital  import 
ance  to  the  people  as  well  as  the  government  of  the  United  States  ; 
that  such  a  fandango  as  that  is  not  got  up  every  day  in  the  year,  if 
we  are  at  war  with  Mexico. 

In  the  first  place,  General  Santa  Anna,  after  the  defeat  of  Ampu- 
dia  at  Monterey,  assembled  and  organized  a  large  army  at  San  Luis 
Potosi,  and  every  one  will  agree  with  me,  when  I  say  that  this 
force  was  so  large  that  Mexico  could  ill  afford  to  support  it  in  a 
state  of  total  inactivity.  It  was  evidently  for  some  purpose.  That 
Santa  Anna  intended  it  to  hold  possession  of  Tampico  is  not  at  all 
probable,  as  that  place  was  abandoned  without  a  struggle.  That  he 
intended  it  for  the  defence  of  Vera  Cruz  is  likewise  highly  impro 
bable,  for  the  only  communication  between  San  Luis  and  Vera  Cruz 
is  by  way  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  a  distance  of  over  five  hundred 
miles  ;  and  if  intended  for  that  service,  in  all  human  probability  it 
would  have  been  concentrated  at  some  more  convenient  point. 

The  city  of  Mexico  itself,  as  a  matter  of  course,  needed  no  de 
fence,  for  it  certainly  was  safe  so  long  as  the  Mexicans  held  pos 
session  of  Vera  Cruz.  Where  then  did  Santa  Anna  intend  to 
operate  with  the  army  of  thirty  thousand  men  which  had  been 
raised  at  such  an  expense,  and  the  very  subsistence  of  which  amounted 
to  thousands  of  dollars  daily  !  Was  it  supposed  that  he  would 
remain  quietly  at  San  Luis  Potosi  with  this  mammoth  force  until 
attacked  ? — at  what  period  he  did  not  know,  nor  was  it  in  the  power 
of  any  human  being  to  inform  him.  A  man  of  known  energy  of 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  215 

character  like  Santa  Anna,  would  be  the  last  person  to  set  himself 
down  in  a  position  that  would  make  him  the  laughing  stock  of  the 
whole  world,  as  well  as  his  own  nation.  It  was,  therefore,  reduced 
almost  to  a  certainty,  that  he  had  some  scheme  in  view,  some  Her 
culean  task,  by  which  he  hoped  by  a  single  blow,  to  regain  all  that 
Mexico  had  lost,  and  at  the  same  time  compel  mankind  to  acknow 
ledge  him  one  of  the  first  military  chieftains  of  the  age.  I  think  I 
shall  be  able  to  show  that  this  was  his  plan ;  and  if  I  succeed  I 
shall  claim  no  credit  to  myself,  for,  as  I  said  before,  I  only  intend 
to  state  a  few  facts. 

Many  things  occurred  as  early  as  the  25th  of  November  last  to 
prove  to  my  mind  that  something  of  the  kind  (above  alluded  to)  was 
on  foot  as  early  as  that  period.  Intimations  to  that  effect  were 
made  to  me  by  friendly  Mexicans  of  standing  and  respectability. 
At  the  same  time  they  said,  if  they  should  go  into  detail  and  tell  ah1 
they  knew,  they  would  endanger  their  own  necks.  Since  the  defeat 
of  Santa  Anna  at  Buena  Vista,  and  the  consequent  failure  of  his 
campaign,  (which  was  for  the  recovery  of  the  valley  of  the  Rio  del 
Norte,  and  the  total  extermination  of  every  thing  American  from 
this  part  of  Mexico,)  these  men  speak  out  fearlessly ;  for,  notwith 
standing  they  love  their  country,  they  despise  their  rulers. 

As  early  as  the  25th  of  November,  I  say,  Santa  Anna  commenced 
his  operations ;  to  show  that  I  am  not  far  from  correct,  I  beg  leave 
to  refer  to  the  letter  of  Lieutenant  Abert,  topographical  engineer,  to 
show  that  Santa  Fe  was  included,  as  well  as  the  lower  part  of  the 
Rio  Grande,  that,  notwithstanding  there  seems  to  have  been  a  screw 
loose  as  regards  the  low  country,  the  Santa  Feans  played  their  part, 
and  commenced  operations  on  the  day  appointed.  Santa  Anna's 
troops  were  to  be  employed  in  this  way  : — A  portion  of  them  were 
to  occupy  Victoria,  to  form  a  nucleus  around  which  the  militia  of  the 
country  in  that  vicinity  and  Matamoras  might  rally.  Another  force 
was  to  occupy  Cadareita  and  China,  to  form  another  nucleus  for  the 
rancheros  between  Camargo,  Luredo,  and  the  mountains. 

Secret  circulars  were  sent  to  the  alcaldes  of  the  different  towns, 
calling  on  them  for  every  man  that  could  possibly  be  spared,  with  in 
structions  to  equip  them  as  well  as  they  could,  saying  at  the  same  time 
that,  if  they  had  not  fire-anus,  they  must  arm  them  with  long  knives, 


216  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

spears,  and  every  warlike  weapon  their  imaginations  could  devise* 
Santa  Anna  was  to  advance  from  San  Luis  and  attack  the  Americans 
at  their  most  advanced  position,  with  a  force  that  could  not  be  re 
sisted  ;  was  to  drive  them  or  compel  them  to  surrender,  and  if  they 
attempted  to  retreat,  his  reserve  force,  (stationed  as  before  described) 
was  to  fall  upon  and  cut  them  to  pieces  in  their  flight.  The  25th 
of  December  was  the  great  day  appointed. 

All  the  powers  of  the  church  were  called  into  requisition  to  aid 
in  the  laudable  and  patriotic  enterprise.  Masses  were  said  in  the 
churches,  the  aid  of  Divine  Providence  was  invoked,  and  all  the 
sinews  of  the  nation  were  to  be  put  forth  for  the  rescue  of  their 
beloved  country.  From  all  these  causes,  success  was  looked  upon 
as  certain.  But  when  the  people  reflected  that  the  "great  Santa 
Anna"  was  at  the  helm,  they  looked  upon  defeat  as  a  matter  of  total 
impossibility.  The  only  reason  I  have  heard  assigned  for  Santa 
Anna's  not  carrying  out  his  plan  on  the  day  appointed,  is  the  one 
assigned  by  a  Mexican  captain,  taken  prisoner  at  Buena  Vista,  viz  : 
"  that  General  Taylor  had  all  his  veteran  regulars  within  striking 
distance  of  Saltillo ;"  that  "  General  Santa  Anna  did  not  consider 
himself  equal  to  the  task,"  notwithstanding  the  authorities  at  the  city 
of  Mexico  were  goading  him  on ;  and  some  of  his  officers,  who  had 
not  yet  seen  the  American  elephant,  actually  charged  him  with 
"  cowardice." 

I  have  not  the  least  doubt  that  this  was  the  real  cause  for  his  not 
advancing  at  the  time  specified.  But  what  must  have  been  his  de 
light  and  agreeable  surprise  when  the  withdrawal  of  nearly  all  General 
Taylor's  regulars  with  two  or  three  batteries  of  artillery,  was  an 
nounced  to  him  at  San  Luis  !  Well  may  he  have  said,  "  It  is  not 
true — It  cannot  be  possible  !  there  must  be  some  mistake  I"  And 
not  until  he  was  officially  notified  by  the  Mexican  authorities  at  Sal 
tillo  would  he  believe  a  word  of  it.  Fresh  couriers  were  sent  in  all 
directions  through  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande,  announcing  to  the 
people  this  ridiculous  story,  that  the  "  American  general  had  become 
alarmed  at  hearing  there  were  thirty  thousand  troops  at  San  Luis, 
and  had  consequently  withdrawn  all  me  regulars,  and  had  left  the 
volunteers,  on  account  of  their  barbarity  to  the  inhabitants,  to  be 
sacrificed."  You  will  be  surprised  when  I  tell  you  that  even  this 


BATTLE  OF  BUKNA  VISTA.  217 

story  was  believed  by  thousands.  As  will  be  seen  by  calculating 
the  time  between  the  march  of  General  Worth  from  Saltillo,  and  the 
attack  on  General  Taylor  at  Buena  Vista,  (when  it  is  considered  that 
San  Luis  is  three  hundred  miles  from  that  point,)  Santa  Anna  did 
not  long  diilay  his  movements. 

His  large  bodies  of  cavalry  were  despatched  immediately  in  dif 
ferent  directions.  General  Minon  was  sent  to  reconnoitre  General 
Taylor  at  Saltillo  ;  General  Valencia  to  carry  on  the  operations  in  the 
vicinity  of  Victoria,  San  Fernando,  and  Matamoras — while  General 
Urrea  was  sent  to  play  his  part  in  the  vicinity  of  Camargo,  China 
and  Monterey.  The  plan  worked  well ;  the  rancheros  in  all  parts  of 
the  valley  left  their  homes  and  joined  Valencia  and  Urrea,  and  so 
anxious  were  the  inhabitants  at  and  near  Presidio,  Rio  Grande,  to 
give  a  good  account  of  themselves,  that  they  raised  funds  by  subscrip 
tion  and  sent  a  party  of  traders  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  purchased 
all  the  powder  to  be  had  in  that  town  as  early  as  the  30th  of 
January. 

Mexican  expresses  were  running  in  all  parts  of  the  country ;  and 
everything  was  on  the  "  qui  vive"  for  the  great  day  when  Santa 
Anna  should  "give  the  word"  which  would  set  this  overwhelming 
machine  in  motion.  Fifteen  hundred  rancheros  joined  Urrea  in 
one  day.  The  inhabitants  of  all  classes  left  the  principal  towns 
where  our  troops  were  quartered ;  and  those  who  had  friends  among 
the  Americans  besought  them  with  tears  in  their  eyes  to  leave  the 
country,  saying  that  they  "knew  their  throats  would  be  cut  if  they 
remained."  A  very  respectable  Mexican  said  to  me,  that  he  "  was 
not  an  alarmist,  but  that  he  knew  Santa  Anna  was  advancing  with 
an  overwhelming  force,  and  that  notwithstanding  he  believed  one 
American  soldier  to  be  equal  to  three  Mexicans,  yet  he  feared  that 
it  would  be  impossible  for  General  Taylor  to  withstand  the  shock." 

Santa  Anna's  unparalleled  march  against  San  Antonio,  Texas,  in 
1836,  did  not  exceed  the  rapidity  with  which  he  moved  the  main 
body  of  his  army  from  San  Luis  to  Agua  Nueva.  So  certain  was 
he  of  victory,  that  he  only  took  twelve  days'  provisions  with  him, 
saying  to  his  men,  "  the  immense  granaries  of  the  enemy  are  before 
you  ;  you  have  only  to  go  and  take  them."  On  they  moved, 
full  of  life,  full  of  hope ;  certain  beyond  a  doubt  that  they  should 

28 


218  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

carry  everything  before  them  ;  and  Santa  Anna  himself  looked  for 
ward  to  the  day  when  he  would  enjoy  a  reputation  not  inferior  to 
that  of  Napoleon  himself.  Well  may  they  have  raised  the  shout 
when  they  found  the  Americans  had  abandoned  their  camp  at  Agua 
Nueva.  Well  may  Santa  Anna  have  said  to  his  men  (in  orders) 
"  the  northern  barbarians,  the  despoilers  of  your  soil,  the  desecrators 
of  your  churches,  are  fleeing  before  you ;  onward  !  onward,  and 
avenge  your  slaughtered  countrymen." 

On  they  rolled  like  an  avalanche,  carrying  everything  before 
them — but  what  was  their  surprise,  on  arriving  at  the  plain  of 
Buena  Vista,  to  behold  that  little  "  Spartan  band"  standing  cool, 
firm  and  steady,  with  that  old  veteran,  as  firm  as  the  Sierra  Madre 
itself,  at  their  head  !  What  must  have  been  his  chagrin  and  morti 
fication,  when,  after  two  days  hard  fighting,  hand  to  hand,  he  found 
his  army  cut  to  pieces,  and  his  enemy  standing  firmer  than  ever, 
ready  to  renew  the  conflict  on  the  morrow  !  He,  the  great  Napoleon 
of  the  West,  who  had  just  returned  from  exile,  who  had  promised 
everything  to  Mexico  and  her  people,  found  himself  and  his  schemes 
thwarted  at  the  outset. 

His  fall  was  so  great,  and  his  defeat  so  signal,  (all  things  con 
sidered,)  that  I  can  well  account  for  his  treating  Major  Bliss  in  the 
cavalier  manner  that  he  did,  when  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  that 
officer  applied  to  him  for  an  exchange  of  prisoners.  His  all  was 
gone.  Everything,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  was  lost,  and  that, 
too,  by  a  handful  of  undisciplined  volunteers.  But  it  will  never  be 
forgotten  that  Zachary  Taylor  was  their  general. 

It  is  impossible  to  calculate  the  disaster  that  would  have  befallen 
us,  if  Gen.  Taylor  had  not  stood  like  a  firm  old  oak  and  braved  the 
storm  as  he  did.  Verily,  everything  American  would  have  been 
sacrificed,  and  few  would  have  been  left  to  tell  the  disastrous  tale." 

But  even  the  bravery  and  firmness  of  General  Taylor,  would  not 
have  been  sufficient  to  avert  total  defeat  and  ruin  at  Buena  Vista,  if 
he  had  not  been  supported  by  the  activity,  gallantry  and  military  ex 
perience  of  General  Wool.  During  one  of  the  most  critical  periods 
of  the  battle  previous  to  General  Taylor's  return  from  Saltillo, 
General  Wool  had  the  sole  command,  and  throughout  the  re 
mainder  of  the  battle  he  was  the  second  in  command  and  the  acting 


BATTLE  OF  BUENA  VISTA.  219 

officer  in  directing  the  details  of  the  several  subordinate  actions. 
General  Taylor  fully  appreciated  his  services ;  and  in  the  burst 
of  feeling  at  their  interview  after  the  battle,  he  did  him  no  more 
than  simple  justice.  We  shall  notice  the  services  of  General  Wool 
in  this  battle  more  particularly  in  the  Appendix. 

The  American  soldiers  were  congratulated  for  their  bravery  in  the 
following  terms. 

ORDERS,  (NO.  n.) 

HEAII-QUAHTEHS,  ARMT  OF  OCCUPATION, 
Buena  Vista,  Feb.  26,  1847. 

1 .  The  Commanding  General  has  the  grateful  task  of  congratulating 
the  troops  upon  the  brilliant  success  which  attended  their  arms  in 
the  conflicts  of  the  22d  and  23d.     Confident  in  the  immense  superi 
ority  of  numbers,  and  stimulated  by  the  presence  of  a  distinguished 
leader,  the  Mexican  troops  were  yet  repulsed  in  every  effort  to  force 
our  lines ;  and  finally  withdrew  with  immense  loss  from  the  field. 

2.  The  General  would  express  his  obligations  to  the  officers  and 
men  engaged,  for  the  cordial  support  which  they  rendered  through 
out  the  action.     It  will  be  his  highest  pride  to  bring  to  the  notice  of 
the  government,  the  conspicuous  gallantry  of  particular  officers  and 
corps,  whose    unwavering   steadiness    more    than    once    saved  the 
fortunes  of  the  day.     He  would  also  express  his  high  satisfaction 
with  the  conduct  of  the  small  command  left  to  hold  Snltillo.     Though 
not  so  seriously  engaged  as  their  comrades,  their  services  were  very 
important,    and   efficiently   rendered.     While   bestowing   this  just 
tribute  to  the  conduct  of  the  troops,  the  General  deeply  regrets  to 
say,  that  there  were  not  a  few  exceptions.     He  trusts  that  those 
who  fled  ingloriously  to  Buena  Vista,  and  even  to  Saltillo,  will  seek 
an  opportunity  to  retrieve  their  reputation,  and  to  emulate  the  bravery 
of  their  comrades,  who  bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle,  and  sustained 
against  fearful  odds  the  honor  of  the  flag. 

The  exultation  of  success  is  checked  by  the  heavy  sacrifice  of 
life  which  it  has  cost,  embracing  many  officers  of  high  rank  and 
rare  merit.  While  the  sympathies  of  a  grateful  country  will  be 
given  to  the  bereaved  families  and  friends  of  those  who  nobly  fell, 


2^0  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

their  illustrious  example  will  remain  for  the  benefit  and  admiration 
of  the  army. 

By  order  of  Major  General  Taylor. 

W.  W.  S.  BLISS,  Assist.  Adjt.  Gen. 

We  now  take  leave  of  the  bloody  field  of  Buena  Vista.  Long 
will  it  be  remembered  in  the  annals  of  nations.  Future  generations 
will  dwell  with  mingled  emotions  on  its  scenes  of  glory  and  suffering. 
The  imagination  will  dwell  upon  its  impetuous  charges,  its  terrible 
repulses,  the  shouts  of  victory  and  die  groans  of  the  wounded  ;  the 
rejoicing  of  the  conquerors,  the  terrified  flight  of  the  vanquished, 
and  the  mournful  scenes  of  that  field  of  carnage,  where  the  priest 
administers  consolation  to  the  dying,  while  the  callous  camp  follower 
plunders  the  dead. 


A   Guerilla. 


CHAPTER    XI  . 


3ibtnt* 


of    si 


ington 
2?  I 


HE  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  or 
Angostura,  has  been  the  crown 
ing  point  of  General  Taylor's 
brilliant  campaign  in  Mexico. 
Since  that  time  the  enemy  have 
not  dared  to  meet  him  in  the 
field,  and  the  subsequent  opera 
tions  of  his  army  are  few  and 
unimportant. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  Mr. 
Crittenden  was  sent  to  Wash- 
\vith  General  Taylor's  despatches.     He  was  accompanied  by 


222         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

two  hundred  and  sixty  troops  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  wagons 
under  Major  Geddings.  When  near  Seralvo  they  encountered  Gen 
eral  Urrea  with  fifteen  hundred  Mexicans,  and  a  battle  took  place,  of 
which  we  extract  the  amount,  in  substance,  from  the  major's  report. 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  the  7th  instant,  the  enemy's  lancers  com 
menced  the  attack,  sweeping  by  the  flanks  and  rear  of  the  Americans, 
in  order  to  throw  them  into  confusion.  They  were  driven  back 
with  some  loss,  by  the  park  of  artillery,  and  some  companies  of 
infantry.  Many  of  the  drivers  now  deserted  the  teams,  of  which 
about  forty  were  captured  and  burned  by  the  enemy.  One  of  them 
contained  the  ammunition,  which  exploded,  killing  and  wounding  ten 
Mexicans,  and  inspiring  a  number  with  panic  and  disorder.  Having 
thus  broken  the  train  of  wagons,  the  enemy  placed  themselves 
between  the  rear  guard  and  main  body,  in  order  the  more  securely 
to  capture  Captain  Keneally's  company,  and  a  piece  of  artillery 
which  formed  the  rear.  Captain  Bradley  was  immediately  ordered 
to  attempt  communication,  but  at  that  moment  Keneally  himself 
arrived,  stating  that  his  company  was  surrounded,  and  that  he  had 
received  under  cover  of  a  flag,  the  following  note  : — 

"  The  Colonel  Langberg  offers  to  all  the  soldiers  life  and  security, 
if  you  will  surrender  yourself. 

EMELIO  LANGBERG, 

Foreign  Officer." 

He  also  stated  that  he  had  been  favored  with  an  interview  with 
Langberg,  who,  after  stating  that  his  force  amounted  to  sixteen 
hundred  men,  gave  him  an  hour  to  decide  upon  a  surrender.  Upon 
receiving  this  intelligence,  Major  Giddings  immediately  requested 
that  the  truce  might  terminate,  and  soon  after  Captain  Bradley  cut 
his  way  through  the  Mexican  host  and  gained  the  rear.  This  saved 
the  wagons  ;  and  toward  night  the  enemy  drew  off  toward  Seralvo. 
During  the  night,  as  the  troops  were  suffering  much  for  want  of 
water,  a  party  of  Mexican  cavalry  were  driven  from  some  neighbor 
ing  streams  ;  and  before  morning  the  whole  body  of  the  enemy 
evacuated  the  town. 

In  this  affair,  two  privates  of  Captain  Bradley's  company,  and 
fifteen  teamsters  were  killed  ;  while  the  Mexicans  lost  in  killed  and 
wounded  forty-five. 


PURSUIT  OF  URREA.  223 

The  Americans  entered  Seralvo  on  the  next  morning,  where 
Crittenden  was  detained  for  some  days  in  consequence  of  the  teamsters 
refusing  to  proceed  without  a  stronger  escort.  At  the  end  of  this 
lime  Colonel  Curtis  arrived  from  Camargo  with  a  large  body  of 
troops,  being  on  his  route  to  Monterey  in  pursuit  of  General  Urrea. 
The  colonel  continued  his  pursuit  until  the  18th,  when  lie  met 
General  Taylor  near  Marin.  The  General  had  left  Agua  Nueva, 
with  May's  dragoons  and  two  companies  of  Bragg' s  artillery,  also 
for  the  purpose  of  capturing  Urrea,  whom  he  had  understood  to  be 
rapidly  gaining  the  mountains  with  five  thousand  lancers  and  ran- 
cheros.  He  was  now  informed  that  on  the  night  previous,  the 
Mexican  general  having  heard  of  his  approach,  had  retreated  from 
Marin,  where  he  had  been  stationed,  with  the  design  of  attacking 
Curtis.  The  colonel's  force  amounted  to  twelve  hundred  infantry, 
one  company  of  dragoons  and  two  field  pieces ;  and  the  combined 
army  moved  next  morning  from  Marin.  The  pursuit  continued 
until  the  army  had  reached  Caidereta,  where  it  was  ascertained  that 
Urrea  was  beyond  the  mountains.  General  Taylor  then  returned 
towards  Monterey,  and  pitched  his  camp  at  the  Walnut  Springs, 
four  miles  from  that  city. 

On  the  31st,  the  General  issued  the  following  proclamation  : — 

The   General-in-chief  of  the  American  forces  to  the  inhabitants  of  Tamau- 
lipas,  Nuevo  Leon,  and  Coahuila. 

When  the  American  troops  first  crossed  the  frontier  and  entered 
the  above  states,  it  was  with  the  intention,  publicly  declared  to  you, 
of  making  war,  not  upon  the  peaceful  citizens  of  the  soil,  but  upon 
the  central  government  of  the  republic,  with  a  view  to  obtain  an 
early  and  an  honorable  peace. 

The  undersigned  was  authorized  by  his  government  to  levy  con 
tributions  upon  the  people  for  the  support  of  his  army,  but  unwilling 
to  throw  the  heavy  burden  of  the  war  upon  those,  who  with  few 
exceptions,  manifested  a  neutral  disposition,  he  has  continued  from 
the  first  to  pay  punctually  and  liberally  for  all  supplies  drawn  from 
the  country  for  the  support  of  his  troops. 

He  has  used  every  effort  to  cause  the  war  to  bear  lightly  upon 
the  people  of  these  states,  and  he  had  hoped  by  these  means,  to 
retain  their  confidence  and  to  insure  their  neutrality,  in  the  strife 


224  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

between  his  government  and  that  of  Mexico  ;  but  he  regrets  to  say 
that  his  kindness  has  not  been  appreciated,  but  has  been  met  by  acts 
of  hostility  and  plunder.  The  citizens  of  the  country,  instead  of 
pursuing  their  avocations  quietly  at  home,  have,  in  armed  bands, 
waylaid  the  roads,  and  under  the  direction,  and  with  the  support  of 
government  troops,  have  destroyed  trains  and  murdered  drivers 
under  circumstances  of  atrocity  which  disgrace  humanity. 

The  lives  of  those  who  were  thus  wantonly  put  to  death  cannot 
be  restored ;  but  the  undersigned  requires  from  the  people  of  the 
country,  an  indemnification  for  the  loss  sustained  by  the  destruction 
of  the  trains,  and  the  pillage  of  their  contents.  To  that  end  an  esti 
mate  will  be  made  by  the  proper  officers  of  the  entire  loss,  and  this 
loss  must  be  made  good  either  in  money,  or  in  the  products  of  the 
country,  by  the ,  community  at  large  of  the  states  of  Tamaulipas, 
New  Leon,  and  Coahuila,  each  district  or  juzgado  paying  its  just 
proportion. 

It  is  expected  that  the  rich  will  bear  their  full  share.  And  the 
undersigned  calls  upon  all  good  citizens  to  remain  absolutely  neutral, 
and  to  give  no  countenance  to  the  bands  which  infest  the  country 
for  the  purpose  of  murder  and  pillage.  It  is  his  anxious  desire  to 
continue  the  same  policy  as  heretofore  ;  and  he  trusts  that  the  course 
of  the  citizens  will  enable  him  to  do  so. 

Z.  TAYLOR. 

Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  at  Monterey,  March  31,  1847. 


Castle    of   San   Juan    de  Ulloa. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
of 


HE  course  of  events  now  takes  us  to 
southern  Mexico.  While  General 
Taylor  and  the  army  of  occupation 
were  thus  sustaining  the  glory  of  their 
flag,  on  the  Rio  Grande,  most  import 
ant  operations  were  going  forward 
under  General  Winfield  Scott,  who, 
as  we  have  stated,  had  been  appointed 
by  government  to  supersede  Taylor. 
Of  these  operations,  it  may  not  be 
improper  to  give  a  concise  account.* 

General  Taylor  had  been  placed  in 
command  at  Texas,  through  the  recom- 

*  WIXFIELD  SCOTT  was  educated  for  the  profession  of  the  law.     He  was 
born  on   the  13lh  of  Juno,  1786,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Petersburg,  Va.     He 
29  225 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

mendation  of  General  Scott.  After  the  battles  on  the  Rio  Bravo, 
the  latter  officer  was  given  the  supreme  command  in  that  region,  and 
reached  the  seat  of  war  on  January  1st,  1847. 

has  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  a  liberal  education,  being  placed  early  in  life  at 
the  high  school  of  Richmond,  and  subsequently  passed  through  William  and 
Mary  College.  He  entered  the  army  while  the  difficulties  concerning  impress 
ment  were  pending,  and  on  the  3d  of  May,  1808,  received  his  first  appointment 
as  captain  of  light  artillery.  His  characteristic  precision  soon  brought  him  into  the 
favorable  notice  of  his  superiors,  and  led  to  his  promotion  as  lieutenant-colonel, 
in  July,  1812.  In  October  of  that  year  he  assisted  Lieutenant  Elliot  in  cutting 
out  the  Adams  and  Caledonia  from  under  Fort  Erie,  and  afterwards  defended 
both  vessels  with  success  against  a  party  of  British.  At  Queenstown  Heights, 
he  so  distinguished  himself  by  personal  bravery,  as  to  be  intrusted  with  the 
company  of  Colonel  Van  Kensellaer,  when  that  officer  had  been  wounded. 
Here  his  duties  were  arduous.  The  British  who  were  on  the  point  of  retreating, 
received  large  reinforcements  of  Indians  and  regulars  from  Fort  George,  and 
renewed  the  fight  with  desperate  energy.  The  American  militia,  about  three 
hundred,  had  crossed  the  river  to  the  Canada  side,  and  were  now  attacked  by 
thirteen  hundred  of  the  enemy,  of  whom  nine  hundred  were  fresh  troops.  They 
fought  heroically  for  several  hours,  but  were  obliged  to  surrender,  and  were 
marched  to  Quebec.  Scott  was  among  them,  but  was  afterwards  exchanged 
and  returned  to  Boston. 

In  1813,  the  attention  of  the  American  government  was  directed  to  the  im 
portance  of  strengthening  the  defences  in  the  north.  The  fortifications  were 
repaired,  and  additional  troops  ordered  to  the  frontier ;  and  in  May,  Colonel 
Scott  joined  the  army  near  Niagara,  as  adjutant-general.  Here  they  were 
joined  by  the  troops  which  had  been  engaged  at  the  capture  of  York,  and 
General  Dearborn,  the  commander-in-chief,  carried  on  active  preparations  for  an 
attack  on  Fort  George.  Toward  the  end  of  May  these  were  deemed  sufficiently 
advanced  to  warrant  the  embarkation  of  the  arrny,  which  took  place  before  day 
light  of  the  next  morning.  Colonel  Scott  commanded  the  advance,  which 
consisted  of  a  detachment  of  the  twenty-second  regiment,  Forsythe's  corps  of 
riflemen,  two  companies  of  his  own  regiment,  the  second  artillery,  one  company 
of  the  third  artillery,  and  a  company  of  dismounted  dragoons,  numbering  in  all 
about  six  hundred  men.  The  whole  army  crossed  the  river  without  accident, 
and  marched  up  the  rocky  shore  of  the  Canada  side,  with  Colonel  Scott  in 
advance,  unappalled  by  a  heavy  fire  which  a  party  of  British  incessantly  poured 
upon  them.  The  advance  rushed  up  towards  the  enemy,  but  were  several  times 
repulsed,  unt;l  the  arrival  of  the  first  brigade,  when  a  spirited  action  of  ten 
minutes  ensued,  at  the  end  of  which,  the  enemy  retreated,  and  were  pursued 
toward  the  village  of  Fort  George.  The  whole  command  then  landed  and 
formed,  silencing  a  somewhat  annoying  fire  of  shells  from  the  village.  The 
enemy  evacuated  the  fort,  and  were  pursued  to  some  distance,  but  with  little 
effect.  Colonel  Scott  took  down  the  flag  of  the  fort  with  his  own  hands,  and 
afterwards  rejoined  his  column,  and  continued  the  pursuit  toward  Queens- 
town.  When  within  a  few  miles  of  that  place,  they  received  an  order  from  the 
commander-in-chief,  directing  them  to  return,  and  encamp  at  Newark.  The 
exhausted  army  obeyed,  and  retired  to  Fort  George,  where  it  passed  the  night. 

In  July  1813,  Colonel  Scott  received  the  command  of  a  regiment,  and  was 
concerned  in  the  affair  of  Burlington  heights,  the  burning  of  York,  and  the 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  227 

The  confidence  of  government  in  his  military  abilities,  as  well  as 
the  ample  powers  intrusted  to  him,  will  be  understood  from  the 
following  order,  directing  him  to  the  seat  of  war. 

unsuccessful  desciMit  upon  Montreal.  In  the  great  battles  on  the  frontier  in  1814 
he  figured  most  conspicuously,  and  to  him,  in  a  great  measure,  is  their  success 
owing.  The  following  account  of  the  engagement  at  Bridgcwater,  which  we 
abridge  from  the  journal  of  one  who  shared  its  dangers,  will  convey  some  idea 
of  the  nature  of  his  services. 

"About  noon  of  the  25th,  the  commander-in-chief  was  informed  that  the 
enemy  were  landing  at  Lewistown,  and  that  our  baggage  and  stores  were  in 
danger  of  immediate  capture.  It  was  conceived  that  the  most  effectual  method 
of  recalling  him  from  this  object,  was  to  put  the  army  in  motion  toward  Queens- 
town.  If  he  was  in  the  field  upon  the  Canada  side,  our  business  was  to  fight  him 
without  loss  of  time,  as  General  Brown  had  almost  ceased  to  hope  for  reinforce 
ments  or  co-operation  from  any  quarter.  The  support  upon  which  the  general 
had  hitherto  relied,  had  failed  to  appear,  and  the  enemy  having  power  of  the 
lake  could  reinforce  at  pleasure.  General  Scott  with  the  first  brigade,  Towson's 
artillery,  and  all  the  dragoons  and  mounted  men  were  accordingly  put  in  march 
on  the  road  leading  toward  Queenstown.  He  was  particularly  instructed  to 
report  if  the  enemy  appeared,  and  to  call  for  assistance  if  necessary.  On  arriving 
near  the  falls,  he  learned  that  the  enemy  were  in  force  behind  a  narrow  piece 
of  woods  directly  in  his  front,  and  having  despatched  information  of  the  fact,  he 
advanced  upon  them.  Hearing  the  noise  of  artillery,  General  Brown  ordered 
the  second  brigade  and  all  the  artillery  to  march  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  Scott's 
support,  and  rode  down  in  person  with  his  aids,  towards  the  scene  of  action.  On 
arriving  there,  the  general  found  that  Scott  had  passed  the  wood,  and  engaged 
the  enemy  on  the  Queenstown  road,  with  three  regiments  and  Towson's  artil 
lery,  one  regiment  having  been  thrown  to  the  right  to  be  governed  by  circum 
stances. 

Knowing  that  these  troops  had  suffered  severely  in  the  contest,  General 
Brown  determined  to  interpose  a  new  line  with  the  advancing  troops,  and  thus 
disengage  General  Scott  and  hold  his  brigade  in  reserve.  By  this  time  Captains 
Biddle  and  Ritchie's  companies  of  artillery  had  come  into  action,  and  the  head 
of  General  Ripley's  column  was  nearly  up  with  the  right  of  Scott's  line." 

The  author  then  goes  on  to  describe  the  heat  of  the  engagement,  and  the 
capture  of  the  enemy's  battery  by  Colonel  Miller,  and  continues : — 

"  General  Ripley  now  urged  the  commander-in-chief  to  order  up  Scott,  who 
had  all  this  time  been  held  in  reserve  with  three  of  his  battalions.  The  com 
mander  rode  in  person  to  General  Scott,  and  ordered  him  to  advance.  As  Scott 
advanced  toward  Ripley's  right,  General  Brown  passed  to  the  left  to  speak  with 
General  Porter,  whose  militia  were  at  that  moment  thrown  into  some  confusion 
by  a  most  galling  and  deadly  fire  from  the  enemy.  They  were,  however,  kept 
to  their  duty  by  the  exertions  of  their  gallant  chief,  and  most  nobly  sustained  the 
conflict.  The  enemy  were  repulsed  and  again  driven  out  of  sight,  but  in  a 
short  time  were  distinctly  seen  advancing  in  great  force  upon  the  main  line, 
under  Ripley  and  Porter.  The  direction  that  General  Scott  had  given  to  his 
column,  would  have  enabled  him  within  five  minutes,  to  have  formed  line  in  the 
rear  of  the  enemy's  right,  and  thus  bring  it  between  two  fires.  But  in  a  most 
unexpected  moment,  a  flank  fire  from  a  party  of  the  enemy  concealed  upon  our 
left,  falling  upon  the  centre  of  Scott's  command,  when  in  open  column,  blasted 


228  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON, 

November  23e?,  1846. 

SIR  :  —  The  President  several  days  since  communicated  in  person, 
to  you,  his  orders  to  repair  to  Mexico,  to  take  the  command  of  the 
forces  there  assembled,  and  particularly  to  organize  and  set  on  foot, 
an  expedition  to  operate  on  the  Gulf  coast,  if  on  arriving  at  the  theatre 
of  action,  you  shall  deem  it  to  be  practicable.  It  is  not  proposed  to 
control  your  operations  by  definite  and  positive  instructions,  but  you 
are  left  to  prosecute  them  as  your  judgment,  under  a  full  view  of  all 
the  circumstances,  shall  dictate.  The  work  is  before  you,  and  the 
means  provided  or  to  be  provided,  for  accomplishing  it,  are  com 
mitted  to  you  in  the  full  confidence  that  you  will  use  them  to  the 
best  advantage. 

The  objects  which  it  is  desirable  to  obtain  have  been  indicated,  and 
it  is  hoped  that  you  will  have  the  requisite  force  to  accomplish  them. 
Of  this  you  must  be  the  judge  when  preparations  are  made,  and 
the  time  for  action  arrived. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  S.  MARCY, 

Secretary  of  War 
GEX.  WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

our  proud  expectations.  His  column  was  severed  in  two,  one  part  passing  to 
the  rear,  the  other  by  the  right  flank  of  platoons  toward  our  main  line.  About 
this  time  General  Brown  received  his  first  wound,  a  musket  hall  passing  through 
his  right  thigh.  A  few  minutes  after,  Captain  Spencer,  his  aid,  received  a 
mortal  wound.  By  this  time  the  enemy  had  nearly  closed  with  our  main  line. 
Moving  up  to  the  left  of  this  line,  General  Brown  received  a  violent  blow  from 
a  ball,  upon  his  left  side.  It  did  not  enter,  but  nearly  unhorsed  him  with  its 
force.  He  met  with  Colonel  Wood,  and  thought  proper  to  inform  him  of  his 
condition.  The  colonel  exclaimed  with  great  emotion,  '  Never  mind,  my  dear 
general  ;  you  are  gaining  the  greatest  victory  that  was  ever  gained  by  your 
nation.'  '  His  gallant  soul  (says  General  Brown,)  was  exclusively  occupied 
with  the  battle  that  was  then  raging  with  redoubled  fury.'  " 

In  this  battle  Scott  was  so  severely  wounded  that  his  life  was  despaired  of; 
but  under  the  careful  treatment  of  Drs.  Physic  and  Chapman  he  was  completely 
cured.  Congress  rewarded  his  bravery  by  a  gold  medal,  and  the  rank  of  Major- 
General,  the  highest  in  the  American  army  ;  and  the  legislatures  of  New  York 
and  Virginia  voted  him  their  thanks,  and  a  sword  from  each.  He  was  in  the 
Seminole  war,  but  was  not  permitted  to  distinguish  himself. 

On  horseback,  General  Scott  is  said  to  present  a  fine  appearance,  being  six 
feet  four  inches  high,  and  possessing  a  commanding  figure.  He  is  distinguished 
for  the  clearness  of  his  military  plans,  the  rapidity  of  their  execution,  and  espe 
cially  the  mathematical  precision  which  distinguishes  all  his  movements.  Rare 
natural  talents,  carefully  improved  by  a  sound  judgment,  render  him  worthy  to 
command  thr  forces  of  America. 


SlBGK  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  229 

The  first  movement  of  General  Scott,  was  to  plan  an  attack  upon 
Vera  Cruz,  an  important  city,  defended  by  a  castle  whose  position 
and  fortifications  rendered  it  the  key  of  central  Mexico,  and  which 
was  considered  impregnable.*  As  at  Monterey,  the  inhabitants  had 
increased  its  defences  by  planting  cannon  upon  the  tops  of  the  houses, 
and  through  holes  in  the  walls ;  and  each  street  was  commanded 
by  cross  batteries  throughout  its  whole  extent. 

The  forces  of  General  Scott  were  utterly  inadequate  for  either  a 
siege  or  an  assault  upon  such  a  place.  He  was  therefore  obliged  to 

*  The  Castle  of  San  Juan  <le  Ulloa  is  unquestionably  the  most  celebrated  of 
all  American  fortresses.  Its  construction  was  commenced,  in  the  year  1582, 
upon  a  bar  or  bank  in  front  of  the  town  of  Vera  Cruz,  at  the  distance  of  1062 
Castillian  varas  (yards),  and  it  is  entirely  surrounded  by  water.  The  centre  of 
the  area  occupied  by  this  fortress  is  a  small  island  upon  which  Juande  Grajalva 
landed,  a  year  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Cortez  upon  our  continent,  and  at  that 
period  it  accidentally  received  the  name  which  it  retains  to  this  day.  It  seems 
that  there  was  a  shrine  or  temple  erected  upon  it,  in  which  human  victims 
were  sacrificed  to  the  Indian  gods ;  and  as  the  Spaniards  were  informed  these 
offerings  were  made,  in  accordance  with  the  commands  of  the  kings  of  Acolhua, 
they  confounded  or  abbreviated  this  name  into  Ulloa,  which  they  affixed  to  the 
island. 

Sixty-one  years  after  the  conquest,  the  work  was  undertaken,  and  although 
it  seems  to  have  been  designed  not  only  to  defend  Vera  Cruz,  but  to  attack  it 
in  case  of  necessity,  that  city  was,  nevertheless,  sacked  by  the  pirates,  under  the 
ivnowned  freebooter  Lorencillo,  in  the  year  1683. 

The  cost  of  the  castle  has  been  estimated  by  various  writers  to  have  amounted 
lo  the  sum  of  forty  millions  of  dollars,  and  this  may  be  regarded  as  no  ex 
aggeration,  if  We  consider  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  some  of  the  materials  of 
which  it  is  composed,  and  the  fact  that  a  large  portion  of  it  is  built  on  founda 
tions  laid  in  the  sea,  whose  waves  it  has  resisted  for  more  than  two  centuries. 

According  to  a  report  made  on  the  17th  of  January,  1775,  it  was  the  opinion 
of  a  council  of  war,  composed  of  distinguished  officers,  that  this  fortress,  after  all 
its  defences  were  completed,  would  require  a  garrison  for  effective  service,  com 
posed  of  1700  infantry,  300  artillery,  228  sailors,  and  100  supernumeraries. 

The  exterior  polygon  of  the  castle,  which  faces  Vera  Cruz,  is  three  hundred 
yards  long,  while  that  which  defends  the  north  channel,  is  at  least  two  hundred. 
Besides  these,  there  is  a  low  battery,  situated  in  the  bastion  of  Santiago,  which 
doubles  the  fire  on  that  channel.  The  southern  channel  is  also  defended  by 
the  battery  of  San  Miguel. 

The  whole  fort  is  constructed  of  Madrepora  Astrea,  a  species  of  soft  coral, 
which  abounds  in  the  neighboring  islands.  The  walls  are  about  five  yards  in 
thickness,  their  exterior  being  faced  with  hard  stone.  The  castle  is  amply  sup 
plied  with  water  from  seven  cisterns,  which  contain  severally  24,948,  17,884, 
19,000,  6,000,  16,685,  4,500,  4,752 — in  all  93,767 — cubic  feet  of  water. 

Before  the  castle  was  attacked  by  the  French  in  1838,  it  was  defended  by 
177  pieces  of  various  calibre — instead  of  370,  its  full  equipment. 

In  the  year  1844,  there  were  in  the  castle  and  city  the  following  munitions, 
belonging  to  the  artillery  : — 


230  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

order  a  detachment  from  General  Taylor's  army,  which  reached  him 
in  February,  and  augumented  his  force  to  about  12,000  men. 

In  the  same  month,  the  Ondiaka  was  wrecked  near  the  island  of 
Lobos,  having  on  board  a  regiment  of  Louisiana  volunteers,  under  the 

IN  SAN  JUAN  DE  ULLOA. 

10  (84  pr.)  Paixhan  guns,  5  (  brass  )  14  inch  mortar 

10  (64  pr.)         «           «  3  (  iron  )  14  « 

37  (  brass  )  24  pounders,  1  (  brass )  18  " 

25  (  iron  )  24         «  5  (  iron  )  18  " 

2  (  iron  )   18         "  1  (  brass )  9  « 

5  (brass)   16         «  6  (  brass)  8  " 

6  (  iron  )   16         « 

—  21  mortars,  Total. 

95  cannon,  Total. 

IN  VKRA  CRUZ. 

1  (  iron  )  24  pounder       .                    6  (  iron  )     6         •* 

1  (  brass  )  18         "                             15  (  brass )     4 

14  ( brass  )  12         «                               6  (  brass )     3         " 

8  (  iron  )  12         "                             13  (  iron  )     3         « 

18  (  brass  )  18         « 

7  (  iron  )  8         "                  Total,  99  cannon,  and  seven  mortars. 
10  (  brass  j  6 

In  the  same  year  the  Mexican  government  entered  into  a  contract  with  Senor 
Escandor,  by  which  that  gentleman  was  bound  to  furnish  the  castle  with  the 
following  additional  munitions: — 53,342  hollow  balls,  35,136  solid  do.,  5000 
English  muskets,  3000  tercerolas,  3000  cavalry  swords,  5,800  infantry  swords, 
2000  musicians'  do.,  10  Paixhan  guns,  15,  8  and  12  pounders,  8  obuses.  All 
these  were  delivered  except  48,000  hollow  projectiles,  and  13,550  solid. — 
Niks'  Register,  1847. 

The  strength  of  this  celebrated  castle  is  thus  discribed  by  an  officer  in  the 
American  army. — "  The  castle  of  Vera  Cruz  is  no  more  what  it  was  when 
the  French  carried  it,  than  is  a  full  grown  man  to  an  infant.  Then  there 
were  no  guns  above  the  calibre  of  24  pounds,  and  the  few  of  them,  were  most 
miserably  served.  The  magazines  unarched  were  not  bomb-proof.  The  powder 
was  of  such  an  inferior  character,  that  not  a  shot  penetrated  a  French  ship, 
but  at  the  close  of  the  engagement,  were  stuck  about  the  sides  of  the  ship 
ping,  like  so  many  balls  of  mud  ;  and  in  addition  to  all  this,  the  commanding 
officer,  having  been  instructed  not  to  fire  the  first  gun,  permitted  the  French 
squadron  to  come  up  and  take  its  position  as  quietly,  as  though  mooring  to  pass 
the  winter  season. 

Now  let  us  see  what  effect  time  and  a  severe  lesson  have  effected.  There 

are  at  present  mounted,  nearly  300  cannon and  wherever  it  has  been 

possible  to  train  a  gun  upon  the  channel  of  approach,  it  is  planted  ;  so  that  a 
fleet  moving  up  to  the  attack,  must  be  exposed  to  the  concentrated  fire  of  seventy 
cannon,  over  a  distance  of  two  miles,  before  it  can  get  into  position  to  return  a 
shot.  The  castle  of  San  Juan  is  about  three  eighths  of  a  mile  from  the  city,  and 
is  supported  by  a  water-battery  at  the  northwest  angle  of  the  town,  of  fifty 
32  and  42  pound  guns,  all  of  which  would  bear  upon  a  squadron  passing  up, 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ. 


231 


T  a  in  p  i  c  o. 


command  of  Colonel  de  Russy.  Soon  after  gaining  the  land,  they 
were  encountered  by  a  large  Mexican  force  under  General  Cos,  who 
demanded  their  immediate  surrender.  Although  the  colonel's  men 
were  without  arms,  he  immediately  placed  them  in  full  battle  array, 
in  the  meantime  delaying  an  answer  to  the  summons,  until  night. 
He  then  lighted  his  fires,  deserted  his  heavy  baggage,  and  marched 
rapidly  toward  the  head-quarters  at  Tampico,  which  he  reached 
without  meeting  with  opposition. 

from  the  moment  it  arrived  within  range,  until  within  musket  shot.  The 
garrison  at  this  time  is  composed  of  2000  men.  In  the  event  of  an  .attack,  they 
would  with  the  most  perfect  safety,  retire  within  the  casemates  (which  are  as 
impervious  to  shot  as  the  sides  of  Mount  Orizaba)  until  the  ammunition  of  the 
assailing  force  was  expended,  when  they  would  return  to  their  guns  and  sweep 
the  waters,  with  the  most  terrific  effect.  The  officer  commanding  the  castle 
lately  sent  official  word  "  that  if  the  commodore  would  bring  his  fleet  up,  he  might 
fire  until  there  was  not  a  shot  in  the  locker,  and  he  would  promise  him  not  to  re 
turn  a  gun  until  he  was  done." 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

A  naval  force  under  Commodore  Connor  had  been  ordered  to  co 
operate  with  General  Scott,  while  he  conducted  the  attack  by  land. 
Accordingly  he  embarked  at  the  depot,  with  his  whole  force,  and  on 
the  7th  of  March  arrived  at  Anton  Lizardo. 

In  company  with  Commodore  Conner,  General  Scott  then  made 
a  reconnoissance  of  the  city's  castle  and  coast,  and  selected  a  position 
on  the  beach,  west  of  the  island  of  Sacrificios,  as  the  most  suitable 
place  for  the  landing  of  his  troops.  Active  preparations  were  im 
mediately  commenced,  and  the  landing  was  effected  on  the  9th,  with 
out  any  opposition  from  the  enemyi 

An  eye  witness  thus  describes  the  landing. 

"  A  more  stirring  spectacle  has  probably  never  been  witnessed  in 
America.  In  the  first  line  there  were  no  less  than  seventy  heavy 
surf-boats,  containing  nearly  4000  regulars,  all  of  whom  expected  to 
meet  the  enemy  before  they  struck  the  shore. 

Notwithstanding  this,  every  man  was  anxious  to  be  first,  and 
plunged  into  the  water  waist  deep.  As  they  reached  the  shore  the 
'  stars  and  stripes'  were  instantly  floating,  a  rush  was  made  for  the 
sand  hills,  and  amid  loud  shouts  the  troops  pressed  onward.  Three 
long  and  loud  cheers  rose  from  their  comrades  still  on  board,  awaiting 
to  be  embarked,  and  meanwhile  the  tops  and  every  portion  of  the 
foreign  vessels,  were  crowded  with  spectators  of  the  scene.  Not 
one  who  witnessed  it,  will  ever  forget  the  landing.  Why  the  Mexi 
cans  did  not  oppose  us  is  a  greater  mystery  than  ever,  considering 
their  great  advantages  at  the  time,  and  that  they  have  since  opposed 
every  step  of  our  advance." 

The  detailed  preparations  are  given  in  the  despatch  of  Commodore 
Conner  as  follows  : — 

The  anchorage  near  this  place  being  extremely  contracted,  it  became 
necessary  in  order  to  avoid  crowding  it  with  an  undue  number  of 
vessels,  to  transfer  most  of  the  troops  to  the  vessels  of  war,  for  trans 
portation  to  Sacrificios.  Accordingly  on  the  morning  of  the  Dili  at 
daylight,  all  necessary  preparations  having  been  previously  made, 
this  transfer  was  commenced.  The  frigates  received  on  board 
between  twenty-five  and  twenty-eight  hundred  men  each,  with  their 
arms  and  accoutrements,  and  the  sloops  and  smaller  vessels,  numbers 
in  proportion.  Tins  part  of  the  movement  was  completed  about 


SIEGE  OF  VEIIA  CRUZ.  233 

11  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  a  few  minutes  thereafter,  the  squadron  under 
my  command,  accompanied  by  the  commanding  general,  in  the 
steamship  Massachusetts,  and  such  of  the  transports  as  had  been 
selected  for  the  purpose,  got  under  way.  Each  ship  came  in  and 
anchored  without  the  slightest  disorder,  in  the  small  space  allotted  to 
her — the  harbor  being  still  very  much  crowded,  notwithstanding  the 
number  of  transports  we  had  left  behind. 

Whilst  we  were  transferring  the  troops  from  the  ships  to  the  surf- 
boats,  I  directed  the  steamers  Spitfire  and  Vixen,  and  five  gun-boats 
to  form  a  line  parallel  with,  and  close  into  the  beach  to  cover  the 
landing.  This  order  was  promptly  executed,  and  these  small  vessels 
from  the  lightness  of  their  draught,  were  enabled  to  take  positions 
within  good  grape  range  of  the  shore.  As  the  boats  severally  received 
their  complements  of  troops,  they  assembled  in  a  line  abreast,  between 
the  fleet  and  the  gun-boats  ;  and  when  all  were  ready  they  pulled  in 
together,  under  a  guidance  of  a  number  of  officers  of  the  squadron, 
who  had  been  detailed  for  this  purpose.  General  Worth  commanded 
this,  the  first  line  of  the  army,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  forming 
his  command  on  the  beach  and  neighboring  heights  just  before  sun 
set.  Four  thousand  five  hundred  men  were  thus  thrown  on  shore 
almost  simultaneously.  No  enemy  appeared  to  offer  us  the  slightest 

opposition The  whole  army  consisting  of  upwards  of 

10,000  men,  were  thus  safely  deposited  on  shore,  without  the  slight 
est  accident  of  any  kind. 

General  Scott  has  now  with  him  upwards  of  11,000  men.  At 
his  request  I  permitted  the  marines  of  the  squadron,  under  Captain 
Edson,  to  join  him  as  a  part  of  the  3d  regiment  of  artillery.  The 
general-in-chief  landed  this  morning,  and  the  army  put  itself  in  motion 
at  an  early  hour,  to  form  its  lines  around  the  city.  There  has  been 
some  distant  firing  of  shot  and  shells  from  the  town  and  castle  upon 
the  troops,  as  they  advanced,  but  without  result." 

Meanwhile  the  Mexicans  were  not  idle.  Although  they  unwisely 
omitted  a  timely  and  vigorous  opposition  to  the  landing,  yet  every 
preparation  was  going  forward  to  defend  their  fortress.  At  the  same 
time  the  following  proclamation  was  issued  by  the  governoY. 

COMPATRIOTS — Having  seen  the  enemy's  squadron,  so  long  ex 
pected,  enter  this  port,  in  conjunction  with  the  vessels  containing  the 

30 


234  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

mercenary  troops  destined  to  operate  against  this  heroic  city,  it  is  the 
moment  to  perform  the  obligations  contracted  to  our  country,  with 
valor,  and  boldly  sustain  her  sacred  rights. 

COMRADES — My  heart  beats  with  inexpressible  satisfaction  at  the 
desire  that  animates  us  to  measure  our  arms  with  the  daring  invaders. 
They  present  themselves  this  moment  in  stronger  force,  but  you  well 
know  their  forces  were  never  superior  in  discipline  nor  valor.  Pos 
sessing  both  advantages,  you  see  the  struggle  in  view  for  our  hearths, 
in  defence  of  your  interests  and  your  families,  in  fact,  for  the  inde 
pendence  and  liberty  of  your  dear  country,  united  to  that  justice 
which  assists  us.  These  will  be  sufficient  incentives  to  inflame  your 
courage,  and  convert  you  into  heroes. 

Brave  and  suffering  veterans  !  Worthy  soldiers  of  the  National 
Guard  !  The  hour  of  combat  is  near  !  The  capital  of  your  state  is 
the  point  of  American  ambition  !  I  trust  our  enemies  will  find  their 
sepulchres  in  the  ports  of  the  same  city  which  they  pretend  to  pos 
sess,  and  before  we  all  succumb,  we  will  cause  to  descend  to  pos 
terity  a  lesson  of  virtue  and  honor. 

These  are  the  vows  of  your  compatriot  and  friend, 

JUAN  MORALES. 

Some  days  after  the  landing,  the  Americans  were  joined  by  Cap 
tains  Ker  and  Thornton,  and  Colonel  Harney,  accompanied  by  a  con 
siderable  body  of  men,  together  with  many  horses. 

On  the  llth,  General  Scott  received  a  note  from  Senor  Don 
Afilass  G.  de  Escalante,  the  Spanish  consul  at  the  city,  requesting  that 
the  American  army  would  respect  the  persons  and  property  of 
the  Spanish  residents,  not  only  during  the  siege,  but  also  in  case  of 
an  assault.  This  was  answered  by  the  American  general  on  the 
13th.  In  his  note,  he  acknowledged  in  very  polite  terms  the  relation 
between  Spain  and  the  United  States,  and  signified  his  entire  willing 
ness  to  accede  to  the  request  of  the  consul ;  with  a  promise  to  con 
form  to  it  as  far  as  practicable ;  but  he  reminded  him  of  the  difficulty 
of  discriminating  between  friend  and  foe,  especially  during  the 
confusion  of  an  assault  by  night,  and  that  on  such  an  occasion,  even 
a  consular  flag  could  scarcely  be  distinguished.  Accompanying  the 
answer  was  a  printed  safeguard  with  the  sign-manual  of  General 
Scott,  affording  protection  to  all  Spanish  residents,  and  a  similar  one 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  235 

for  the    British    consul.     The    following  is   a  copy  of   the  safe 
guard. 

"  By  authority  of  Major  General  Scott,  general-in-chief  of  the 
armies  of  the  United  States — The  person,  the  family,  and  the  pro 
perty  of  the  British  consul,  residing  in  Vera  Cruz,  his  house  and 
its  contents  are  placed  under  the  safeguard  of  the  army  of  the  United 
States.  To  offer  any  violence  or  injury  to  them  is  expressly  for 
bidden  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  ordered  that  safety  and  protection  be 
given  to  him  and  them  in  case  of  need." 

A  similar  letter  was  addressed  to  Monsieur  A.  Gloux,  the  French 
consul,  with  a  request  that  he  would  deliver  to  the  Prussian  consul 
the  safeguard  enclosed  for  him.* 

On  the  22d,  General  Scott  summoned  the  town  and  garrison  to 
surrender,  assuring  them  that  they  should  be  treated  with  all  the  honors 
of  war.  The  commandant  replied,  that  intrusted  as  he  was  with  a 
high  national  duty,  it  become  him  to  use  every  exertion  in  order  to 
fulfil  it ;  that  he  expected  a  vigorous  assault,  and  was  prepared  to 
meet  it ;  and  that  General  Scott  might  commence  hostilities  as  soon 
as  convenient. 

When  the  flag  returned  with  this  intelligence,  the  bombardment 
commenced  in  earnest.  Seven  mortars  were  then  in  battery,  and 
were  ordered  by  General  Scott  to  open  immediately  upon  the  city. 
Shortly  after,  all  the  smaller  vessels  of  Commodore  Perry'st  squadron, 
comprising  two  steamers  and  five  schooners,  approached  the  city 
within  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  according  to  previous  arrange 
ment,  and  being  partially  covered  from  the  guns  of  the  castle,  they 
opened  a  brisk  fire  upon  the  city.  This  was  continued  by  both 
batteries  and  vessels,  with  but  little  interruption  on  the  part  of  the 
latter  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  night  scene  was 
grand  and  terrible.  Bombs  and  rockets  traversed  the  blazing  path 
way  of  battle,  contrasting  strangely  with  the  dense  gloom  that  sur 
rounded  them  ;  while  the  roaring  of  mortars,  the  bursting  of  bombs, 

*  Whosoever  belonging  to  the  armies  of  the  United  States  employed  in 
foreign  parts,  shall  force  a  safeguard  shall  suffer  death. —  Fifty-fifth  Article  of 
War. 

f  Commodore  Perry  had  beeji  appointed  by  government  to  supersede  Com 
modore  Conner. 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

the  crashing  of  buildings,  and  the  dim  cry  of  the  sufferers  heard 
faintly,  as  it  struggled  with  the  distance,  rendered  that  night  worthy 
of  remembrance  to  every  beholder.* 

In  the  morning,  it  became  evident  that  the  position  of  the  assault 
ing  vessels  was  one  of  great  danger,  and  they  were  therefore  with 
drawn.  About  the  same  time,  three  additional  mortars  were  placed 
in  battery,  and  added  their  terrible  discharges  to  the  others.  The 
fire  was  now  most  destructive  to  the  city  ;  house  after  house  was 
heard  to  fall,  and  the  bombs  rattled  and  echoed  like  hail  along  the 
ploughed-up  streets.  The  batteries  of  ten-inch  mortars  were  par 
ticularly  destructive,  as  they  were  only  eight  hundred  yards  from  the 
city.  Yet  notwithstanding  the  incessant  fire  from  the  city  and 
castle  commenced  long  before  that  of  the  Americans,  General  Scott 
lost  but  two  men  killed  and  four  wounded.  One  of  the  killed  was 
Captain  John  K.  Vinton,  of  the  third  artillery,  who  highly  distin 
guished  himself  at  Monterey.  He  was  one  of  the  most  talented  and 
accomplished  members  of  the  army,  and  at  the  time  of  his  fall  was 
on  duty  in  the  trenches  as  field  and  commanding  officer.! 

Thirteen  heavy  pounders  now  arrived  from  the  depot,  and  two 
of  them  were  safely  landed ;  but  a  heavy  norther  commencing  at 
noon,  stopped  all  further  landing  of  either  guns  or  bombs,  and  in 
consequence  the  mortar  batteries  were  obliged  to  slacken  their  fires 
until  the  return  of  a  smooth  sea.  On  the  night  of  the  23d,  this 
terrible  storm  abated,  and  early  the  next  morning  the  army  commenced 
the  landing  of  shot,  shells,  and  mortars. 

The  naval  battery,  (No.  5,)  was  opened  with  great  activity  by 
Captain  Aulick,  the  second  in  command  of  the  squadron.  His  fire 
was  continued  from  ten  A.  M.  until  two  in  the  afternoon,  when  he 
had  exhausted  his  ammunition,  and  was  soon  after  relieved  by  Cap 
tain  Mayo,  who  landed  with  fresh  supplies.  Captain  Aulick  had 
four  sailors  killed  and  Lieutenant  Baldwin  slightly  wounded.  Most 
of  the  other  batteries  fired  but  languidly  during  the  day,  not  only 
from  want  of  shells,  but  also  in  consequence  of  the  fury  of  the 

*  See  Appendix,  articles  Bombardment  and  Capitulation. 

•f  "  I  have  just  attended  his  honored  remains  to  a  soldier's  grave,  in  full 
view  of  the  enemy,  and  within  reach  of  his  guns." — General  Scott's  Official 
Report.  See  Appendix. 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  237 

norther,  which  filled  the  works  with  sand,  nearly  as  fast  as  they 
could  be  opened,  blinding  the  laborers  and  scattering  their  materials. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  25th,  all  the  batteries  commenced  in 
tremendous  activity,  and  the  devoted  city  began  to  crumble  beneath 
their  dreadful  discharges.  But  the  garrison  seemed  heedless  of  their 
losses,  and  the  huge  guns  of  the  San  Juan  poured  forth  their  fierce 
showers  of  hail  with  incessant  roar. 

On  the  evening  previous,  General  Scott  had  received  a  memorial 
signed  by  the  consuls  of  Great  Britain,  France,  Spain,  and  Prussia, 
asking  him  to  grant  a  truce,  to  enable  the  neutrals,  together  with 
Mexican  women  and  children,  to  withdraw  from  the  city.  To  this 
General  Scott  now  replied  in  substance,  as  follows :  That  a  truce 
could  be  granted  only  on  the  application  of  Governor  Morales,  with 
a  view  to  surrender  ;  that  in  sending  safeguards  to  the  different  con 
suls,  commencing  as  far  back  as  the  13th  instant,  he  had  distinctly 
admonished  them  of  the  dangers  that  followed;  that  although  at 
that  date  he  had  refused  to  allow  any  person  to  pass  the  line  of 
investment  either  way,  yet  the  blockade  had  been  left  open  to  the 
consuls  and  other  neutrals  to  pass  out  to  their  respective  ships  of 
war,  up  to  the  22d  instant.  Inclosed  was  a  copy  of  the  summons  to 
the  governor,  showing  that  General  Scott  had  fully  considered  the 
hardships  and  distresses  of  the  place,  especially  of  the  women  and 
children,  before  one  gun  had  been  fired  upon  the  city. 

The  sufferings  of  the  city  were  now  becoming  intense.  Men, 
women  and  children  were  torn  to  pieces  by  bombs,  or  crushed 
beneath  falling  buildings  ;  hundreds  congregated  in  the  streets,  were 
raked  and  thinned  by  the  shells  and  shot,  and  the  hospitals  were 
crowded  with  the  wounded  and  dying.  Under  these  circumstances, 
the  people  were  clamorous  for  a  termination  of  their  miseries  ;  and 
numbers  of  them  petitioned  the  governor  to  surrender.  With  a 
bravery,  however,  which  does  him  honor,  he  resolutely  refused, 
declaring  his  intention  to  defend  his  post  until  defence  was  hopeless. 
A  council  of  the  citizens  and  military  officers  was  then  held,  the 
result  of  which  was,  that  Morales  was  deposed,  and  General  Lan- 
dero  placed  in  his  stead.  Ort  the  morning  of  the  26th,  the  new 
governor  despatched  overtures  of  surrender  to  the  American  com 
mander,  and  negotiations  were  immediately  commenced.  Consider- 


238  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

able  delay  was  experienced,  as  a  storm  of  wind  filled  the  air  with 
showers  of  sand,  and  rendered  it  difficult  to  communicate  with  the 
city,  and  utterly  impossible  to  reach  the  fleet. 

Generals  Worth  and  Pillow,  and  Colonel  Totten,  were  appointed 
as  commissioners  by  General  Scott,  to  meet  those  of  the  Mexican 
commander.  While  the  conference  was  going  on,  Captain  Aulick 
arrived  from  the  fleet,  and  although  not  originally  included  in  the 
specified  arrangements,  yet  the  commander  did  not  hesitate  to  desire 
the  Mexicans,  with  proper  courtesy,  that  the  captain  might  be  duly 
introduced,  and  allowed  to  participate  in  the  acts  and  discussions  of 
the  commissioners.  He  was  accordingly  received. 

At  the  conference,  the  Mexican  commissioners  offered  six  pro 
positions  as  the  terms  on  which  they  were  willing  to  evacuate  the 
city ;  these,  with  the  reply  of  the  American  commander  were  as 
foUows. 
Six  Propositions  from  the  Mexican  Commissioners  to  the  General-in-Chief. 

1st.  The  garrison  will  evacuate  the  place  within  a  time  to  be  agreed 
upon  between  the  belligerent  parties,  retiring  to  the  city  of  Orizaba 
or  Jalapa,  by  regular  day  marches,  according  to  the  custom  of  armies 
on  a  march. 

2d.  The  aforesaid  garrison  shall  march  out  with  all  the  honors  of 
war,  colors  displayed,  drums  beating,  stores  belonging  to  the  corps 
of  which  it  is  composed,  the  allowance  of  field  pieces  corresponding 
to  its  force,  baggage  and  munitions  of  war. 

3d.  The  Mexican  flag  will  remain  displayed  on  the  bastion  of 
Santiago  until  the  retiring  Mexican  garrison  shall  be  out  of  sight  of 
the  city,  and  on  hauling  it  down,  it  shall  be  saluted  with  twenty-one 
guns  fired  from  the  same  bastion,  until  which  time  the  forces  of  the 
United  States  shall  not  enter  the  place. 

4th.  The  inhabitants  of  Vera  Cruz  shall  continue  in  the  free 
possession  of  their  moveable  and  immoveable  property,  in  the  enjoy 
ment  of  which  they  shall  never  be  disturbed,  as  well  as  in  the  exer 
cise  of  their  religious  faith. 

5th.  The  guards  of  Vera  Cruz,  if  they  find  it  convenient,  to 
retire  peaceably  to  their  homes,  not  to  be  molested  on  account  of 
their  conduct  in  bearing  arms  in  defence  of  the  place. 

6th.  The  undersigned  desire  to  know,  in  case  the  Senor  General 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  239 

Scott  should  have  to  continue  hostilities,  on  account  of  not  admitting 
these  propositions,  if  he  will  permit  the  neutrals  to  go  out  of  the 
place,  as  well  as  the  women  and  children  belonging  to  the  Mexican 
families. 

PEDRO  M.  HERRERA, 

JOSE    GUITIERREZ    D£    VlLLANUEVA, 

MANUEL  ROBLES. 

HEAD  QUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 
Camp  Washington,  before  Vera  Cruz,  March  27,  1847. 

The  undersigned,  Major  General  Scott,  general-in-chief  of  the 
armies  of  the  United  States  of  America,  has  received  the  report  of 
the  commissioners  appointed  by  him,  yesterday,  to  meet  the  com 
missioners  appointed  by  his  excellency,  General  Landero,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  Vera  Cruz  and  the  castte  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa, 

In  making  that  report,  the  undersigned  received,  informally,  from 
his  commissioners,  the  projet  of  an  arrangement  presented  to  them 
by  the  Mexican  commissioners,  consisting  of  six  articles.  Without 
reproducing  those  articles  in  extenso,  the  undersigned  will  simply 
refer  to  them  by  their  respective  numbers. 

Art.  1.  Is  wholly  inadmissible.  The  garrisons  of  the  places  in 
question,  can  only  be  allowed  to  march  out,  or  to  evacuate  them  as 
prisoners  of  war ;  but  the  undersigned  is  willing  that  each  garrison, 
without  distinction  between  regular  troops  and  national  guards  or 
militia,  may  retire,  in  the  delay  of  —  days  to  their  respective  homes 
— the  officers  giving  for  themselves  and  their  respective  men,  the 
usual  parole  of  honor  not  again  to  serve  against  the  United  States  of 
America  in  the  present  war,  until  duly  exchanged. 

Art.  2.  The  garrisons  may  be  allowed  all  the  honors  of  war 
usually  allowed  to  gallant  troops ;  but  to  surrender  their  arms  of 
every  sort,  save  the  side  arms  of  the  officers. 

Art.  3.  As  far  as  practicable  by  the  commissioners  of  the  two 
armies,  this  may  be  arranged  to  satisfy  the  just  pride  of  the  gallant 
defenders  of  the  places  in  question. 

Art.  4.  Is  readily  agreed  to,  and  may  be  solemnly  promised. 

Art.  5.  This  is  substantially  met  in  the  above  remark  under 
article  one. 

Art.  6.  Not  admissible  in  any  case. 


240  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Taking  the  foregoing  remarks  and  the  instructions  of  the  under 
signed  to  his  commissioners — which  instructions  were  substantially 
communicated  to  the  Mexican  commissioners — as  the  basis  of  an 
honorable  capitulation,  the  undersigned,  to  spare  the  further  effusion 
of  blood,  is  willing  to  refer  back  the  whole  subject  to  the  same  com 
missioners  of  the  two  parties,  provided  that  the  said  commissioners 
meet  again  to  day  at  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  at  the  same  place  as  yester 
day,  and  proceed  without  delay  to  a  definite  conclusion  of  the  whole 
subject. 

The  undersigned  will  wait  the  answer  of  his  excellency,  General 
Landero,  up  to  nine  o'clock  this  day,  and,  in  the  mean  time  renews 
the  assurances  of  his  high  respect  and  consideration. 

WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

The  terms  upon  which  the  city  surrendered  are  as  follows : 

1.  The  whole  garrison  or  garrisons,  to  be  surrendered  to  the  arms 
of  the  United  States,  as  prisoners  of  war,  the  29th  instant,  at  ten 
o'clock,  A.  M.  ;  the  garrison  to  be  permitted  to  march  out  with  all 
the  honors  of  war,  and  to  lay  down  their  arms  to  such  officers  as 
may  be  appointed  by  the  general-in-chief  of  the  United  States  armies, 
and  at  a  point  to  be  agreed  upon  by  the  commissioners. 

2.  Mexican  officers  shall  preserve  their  arms  and  private  effects 
including  horses  and  horse  furniture,  and  to  be  allowed,  regular  and 
irregular,  as  also  the  rank  and  file,  five  days  to  retire  to  their  re 
spective  homes  on  parole,  as  hereinafter  described. 

3.  Coincident  with  the  surrender,  as  stipulated  in  article  1,  the 
Mexican  flags  of  the  various  forts  and  stations  shall  be  struck,  saluted 
by  their  own  batteries  ;    and  immediately  thereafter,  Forts  Santiago 
and  Conception,  and  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  occupied  by 
the  forces  of  the  United  States. 

4.  The  rank  and  file  of  the  regular  portion  of  the  prisoners  to  be 
disposed  of  after  surrender  and  parole,  as  their  general-in-chief  may 
desire,  and  the  irregular  to  be  permitted  to  return  to  their  homes. 
The  officers  in  respect  to  all  arms  and  description  of  force,  giving 
the  usual  parole,  that  the  said  rank  and  file,  as  well  as  themselves, 
shall  not  serve  again  until  duly  exchanged. 

5.  All  the  material  of  war,  and  all  public  property  of  every  de 
scription  found  in  the  city,  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  and  their 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  241 

dependencies,  to  belong  to  the  United  States  ;  but  the  armament  of 
the  same  (not  injured  or  destroyed  in  the  further  prosecution  of  the 
actual  war)  may  be  considered  as  liable  to  be  restored  to  Mexico 
by  a  definite  treaty  of  peace. 

6.  The  sick  and  wounded  Mexicans  to  be  allowed  to  remain  in 
the  city  with  such  medical  officers  and  attendants  and  officers  of  the 
army  as  may  be  necessary  to  their  care  and  treatment. 

7  Absolute  protection  is  solemnly  guarantied  to  persons  in  the 
city,  and  to  property ;  and  it  is  clearly  understood  that  no  private 
building  or  property  is  to  be  taken  or  used  by  the  forces  of  the 
United  States,  without  previous  arrangement  with  the  owners,  and 
for  a  fair  equivalent. 

8.  Absolute  freedom  of  religious  worship  and  ceremonies,  is 
solemnly  guarantied. 

The  following  incidents  connected  with  this  brilliant  national  tri 
umph,  we  collect  from  letters  of  various  gentlemen,  all  eye  witnesses 
to  the  facts  which  they  relate,  and  all  sharers  in  their  dangers  and 
glories. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  llth,  the  column  of  General  Twiggs 
moved  up  with  the  mounted  rifles  in  advance,  to  take  position  on  the 
left  of  the  line.  The  undertaking  was  a  most  arduous  one,  but  with 
General  Twiggs  there  is  no  such  word  as  fail.  When  his  cannon 
could  not  be  hauled  by  horses,  they  were  pulled  and  lifted  by  his 
men.  and  they  were  taken  up  and  over  sand  ridges  that  I  should 
think  it  utterly  impossible,  and  beyond  the  physical  strength  of  men 
to  surmount.  The  advance  of  this  column  arrived  at  their  destina 
tion  on  the  sea  shore,  above  the  town  about  two  o'clock,  and  the 
rear  closed  up  at  sundown. 

The  place  is  now  entirely  circumscribed,  the  entire  investing 
line  occupying  a  space  of  eight  miles  in  length.  As  the  troops  lay 
stretched  along  the  hills  and  valleys,  with  the  stars  and  stripes 
dotted  here  and  there,  fluttering  in  the  breeze,  they  present  to  the 
view  a  majestic  and  sublime  appearance.  The  enemy  are  now 
completely  within  our  grasp.  General  Worth  occupies  the  right, 
General  Twiggs  the  left,  and  General  Patterson  the  centre." 

"  At  4  o'clock  P.  M.  of  the  22d,  the  American  battery  consist 
ing  of  seven  mortars,  commenced  the  bombardment  of  the  city. 

31 


242  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

The  shells  fell  into  the  place  after  the  first  fires,  and  exploded  with 
as  much  precision  as  could  he  desired.  The  city  from  one  end  to 
the  other  soon  became  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  smoke — the  vivid  and 
lurid  flashes  of  the  artillery,  from  their  city  batteries,  breaking  through 
it  at  brief  intervals,  and  report  after  report  followed  each  other  in 
quick  succession  until  after  the  dusk  of  evening.  The  shell  and 
round  shot  fell  heavy  and  fast  at  the  intrenchments  behind  which 
our  batteries  were  planted. 

As  soon  as  Commodore  Perry  perceived  that  the  land  forces  were 
engaged,  he  ordered  Captain  Tatnall  to  attack  with  the  "  Mosquito 
Fleet."  The  captain  inquired  at  what  point  he  should  engage.  Perry 
emphatically  replied — "  Wherever  you  can  do  the  mostexecution,  sir." 
Accordingly  the  little  fleet  took  position  under  a  point  of  land  known 
as  the  Limekiln,  about  a  mile  from  the  city,  and  under  protection  from 
the  point  blank  shot  of  the  castle.  They  soon  opened  their  fire,  and 
were  answered  by  the  castle,  so  that  in  a  little  while  the  powerful 
engines  of  destruction  were  in  full  blast,  hurling  their  dreadful  missiles 
into  the  opposite  ranks,  in  rapid  succession ;  this  continued  until 
dark.  At  8  o'clock  the  party  in  the  trenches  were  relieved.  They 
were  literally  covered  with  smoke  and  dust,  and  so  much  disfigured 
that  they  could  not  be  recognized  except  by  their  voices.  Shell  after 
shell  exploded  in  their  midst,  and  shot  after  shot  threw  barrels  of 
earth  from  the  embankments,  over  their  heads  as  they  lay  in  the 
trenches.  Their  escape  was  almost  miraculous. 

Before  daylight  of  the  23d,  Captain  Tatnall  weighed  anchor,  and 
aided  by  the  clouds  which  obscured  the  moon,  he  approached  within 
six  hundred  yards  of  the  castle.  Here  he  engaged  with  the  fortress, 
and  sustained  himself  for  half  an  hour,  when  a  signal  from  the  Com 
modore,  obliged  him  to  return.  This  attack  is  considered  one  of 
the  most  daring  feats,  perpetrated  before  the  castle."* 

*  The  same  writer  continues,  "  During  the  early  part  of  last  evening  the  town 
was  lighted  up  by  a  building  which  was  set  on  fire  by  the  bomb-shells.  As 
soon  as  the  fire  was  discovered  from  our  mortar  battery,  I  was  very  much  grati 
fied  to  observe  the  cessation  of  our  fire;  for  notwithstanding  we  were  en 
deavoring  to  destroy  their  town,  or  compel  them  to  surrender  it  with  their 
strong  holds  and  fortifications,  still  humanity  would  seem  to  require  that  a  tem- 
pory  cessation  of  hostilities  should  take  place  under  such  circumstances.  War 
is  terrible  in  its  most  modified  form ;  but  the  besieging  of  a  city  like  Vera  Cruz, 
when  we  know  that  we  are  battering  down  the  houses  over  some  fellow  creatures' 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  243 

The  "  norther"  is  thus  described  by  the  same  pen. 

"  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th,  it  sprung  up  very  suddenly, 
and  blew  most  furiously  all  day.  There  was  a  general  commotion 
by  sea  and  land.  The  rifted  clouds  flew  like  sable-winged  messen 
gers  of  death,  through  the  air ;  while  the  lashed  ocean,  furiously 
piled  her  crested  waves  far  along  the  beach.  The  clouds  of  sand 
swept  like  hail  across  the  strand,  from  hill  top  to  the  valley's  depth, 
and  like  the  sirocco  of  the  Sahara,  filled  the  air  with  darkness,  and 
man  and  beast  with  feelings  of  dismay.  The  mariner  was  tempest 
tost,  by  the  quick  surges  of  the  angry  deep,  and  fear  might  well 
blanch  the  cheek  of  the  boldest.  The  soldier  cowered  low  to  escape 
the  drifting  sand,  which,  in  almost  impalpable  particles,  penetrated 
even  the  smallest  apertures.  Tents  were  lifted  from  their  positions, 
and  in  many  instances  literally  torn  into  ribands,  while  clothing  and 
camp  equipage  were  strewn  in  confusion  for  miles  around." 

The  particulars  of  Colonel  Harney's  "  dragoon  fight"  are  as 
follows  : — 

"  Information  was  received  in  camp  this  morning  that  a  body  of 
Mexicans  were  hanging  on  our  rear,  intending  to  force  the  lines  if 
possible,  and  make  their  way  into  the  city  with  a  number  of  cattle. 
Colonel  Harney,  with  one  hundred  and  twenty  dragoons,  was  ordered 
out  in  search  of  them,  and  ordered  to  report  his  observations.  He  dis 
covered  them,  about  two  thousand  in  number,  intrenched  at  a  bridge, 
and  supported  by  two  pieces  of  artillery,  three  miles  from  General 
Patterson's  head-quarters.  Colonel  Harney  started  on  his  return,  in 
tending  to  prepare  properly  and  attack  them  the  next  morning.  But  the 
gallant  old  soldier  knowing  that  delays  are  dangerous,  could  not  bear 
the  idea  of  leaving  the  enemy  after  having  come  in  sight  of  them, 
without  having  a  brush.  Accordingly,  he  returned  to  the  place,  took 
a  position  where  he  could  watch  their  movements,  and  keep  his  men 
secure  from  the  enemy's  fire.  The  Mexicans  commenced  firing  at 
him,  and  threw  a  perfect  shower  of  balls  all  around  him,  but  without 
injury.  Colonel  Harney  then  despatched  a  messenger  to  camp  for  a 

heads,  but  cannot  tell  whether  we  are  destroying  soldiers,  or  women  and  chil 
dren  ******  together  with  the  sight  of  blazing  houses,  lighting  up  the  church 
spires  and  domes  of  the  prominent  buildings,  with  the  families  moving  about  on 
the  tops  of  the  houses  in  the  utmost  consternation,  and  even  despair,  cannot 
do  otherwise  than  excite  a  feeling  of  commiseration." 


SIEGE  OF  VEUA  CHUZ.  245 

small  reinforcement  and  some  artillery  to  break  the  breastworks.  He 
was  reinforced  from  General  Patterson's  division,  by  Lieutenant 
Judd,  with  two  pieces  of  artillery,  about  sixty  dragoons,  dismounted, 
and  six  companies  of  the  first  and  second  Tennessee  Volunteers, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Haskell,  accompanied  by  General 
Patterson  in  person,  although  he  did  not  take  the  command  from  Col 
onel  Harney,  but  merely  participated  as  any  other  individual  who 
was  engaged. 

Colonel  Harney  then  formed  the  Tennesseeans  on  the  right,  his 
dragoons  on  the  left,  and  advanced  slowly,  to  draw  the  fire  of  the 
Mexicans,  until  Lieutenant  Judd  got  his  artillery  in  such  a  position 
as  he  desired.  The  movement  succeeded  admirably:  Lieutenant 
Judd  got  his  ground  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  Mexi 
cans,  and  commenced  firing — they  attempted  to  return  it,  but  as  soon 
as  a  slight  breach  was  made  in  the  parapet,  Colonel  Harney  ordered 
a  charge,  which  was  answered  by  a  yell  from  the  dragoons  and 
Tennesseeans.  Colonel  Haskell,  Captain  Cheatham  and  Captain 
Foster  were  the  first  men  to  leap  over  the  breastwork,  and,  as  a  naval 
officer  remarked,  who  witnessed  the  whole  affair,  the  balance  went 
over  so  much  "  like  a  thousand  of  brick,"  that  there  was  no  telling 
who  was  first  or  last.  As  might  have  been  expected,  the  Mexicans 
were  unable  to  stand  a  charge  from  "  the  boys  who  stood  the  fire  of 
the  Black  Fort  at  Monterey."  A  few  of  the  incumbrances  were  soon 
thrown  out  of  the  way,  and  Colonel  Harney  with  his  dragoons, 
leaped  the  breastwork  and  gave  chase. 

He  had  not  proceeded  more  than  a  mile  before  he  found  the  enemy 
formed  in  line  to  receive  him.  He  immediately  deployed,  and 
from  the  head  of  the  line  ordered  a  charge.  When  he  approached 
within  about  twenty  yards  of  the  enemy's  line  they  gave  him  a  fire 
from  their  side  arms,  but  overshot.  Then  came  the  test  of  strength 
and  skill — the  dragoon  with  sword  in  hand,  met  the  confiding  lancer, 
with  pointed  lance,  ready  to  receive  him.  The  contest  was  but  for 
a  short  time.  In  many  instances,  lances  were  twisted  from  their 
clenched  hold  ;  the  Mexicans  were  unsaddled  and  driven  helter-skel 
ter  in  every  direction,  and  pursued  by  the  dragoons  in  detachments. 

Colonel  Harney  and  several  of  his  officers  met  their  men  in  single 
combat,  but  none  of  them  received  any  injury  except  Lieutenant 


246         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Neill,  adjutant  of  the  regiment,  who  was  wounded  severely  in  two 
places  from  his  magnanimity  in  attempting  to  capture  a  Mexican  in 
stead  of  killing  him.  In  full  run  he  overtook  the  retreating  Mexican, 
and  placing  his  sword  in  front  of  him,  commanded  him  to  surrender 
whereupon  the  Mexican  drove  his  lance  into  his  magnanimous  ad 
versary.  As  the  lieutenant  wheeled  his  horse  to  despatch  him, 
another  Mexican  charged  up  and  struck  him  with  a  lance.  However, 
severely  wounded  as  he  was,  in  two  places,  he  conquered  one  of  his 
foes,  and  a  corporal  came  up  in  time  to  settle  accounts  with  the  other. 

In  this  affair  Colonel  Ilarney  had  four  wounded  and  one  killed. 
Lieutenant  Judd  had  one  killed  ;  and  the  Tennesseeans  had  Messrs. 
Fox,  Long,  Woodly,  and  one  other  of  Captain  McCown's  company, 
whose  name  I  could  not  ascertain,  wounded.  Mr.  Young,  a  Texan 
Ranger,  who  was  acting  as  guide,  was  also  wounded  slightly.  Nine 
teen  Mexicans  were  found  dead  at  the  bridge  behind  the  breastwork. 
Colonel  Ilarney  killed  fifty  and  wounded  about  the  same  number. 
The  Mexican  force  was  near  2000  ;  Colonel  Harney's  about  500. 

Colonel  Haskell,  Captains  Cheatans,  Foster,  Snead,  Lieutenant 
Judd  and  all  the  officers  and  men  in  the  command  are  spoken  of  in 
the  very  highest  terms  by  Colonel  Harney,  for  their  gallant  con 
duct  throughout  the  whole  affair. 

General  Twiggs  was  appointed  governor  of  the  city  of  Vera 
Cruz  and  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  and  under  his  energetic  govern 
ment,  order  and  tranquillity  were  soon  established.  General  Scott 
used  every  means  in  his  power  to  conciliate  the  inhabitants,  and  in 
spire  them  with  friendly  feelings  toward  the  Americans.  After  the 
capitulation  he  requested  a  personal  interview  with  those  of  the  garri 
son,  who  had  distinguished  themselves  in  the  defence,  and  after  com 
plimenting  them  highly  for  their  bravery,  he  dismissed  them  without 
parole.  With  the  same  object  in  view,  he  issued  the  following 
proclamation. 

MAJon-GfiXEnAL  SCOTT,  General-in-chief  of  the  armiex  of  the  United  Stales 
of  America,  to  the  good  people  of  Mexico. 

"Mexicans  ! — At  the  head  of  a  powerful  army  soon  to  be  doubled, 
a  part  of  which  is  advancing  upon  your  capital — and  with  another 
army  with  Major-General  Taylor,  in  march  from  Saltillo  toward 
San  Luis  Potosi — I  think  myself  called  upon  to  address  you. 


SIEGE  OF  VERA  CRUZ.  247 

Mexicans  ! — Americans  arc  not  your  enemies,  but  the  enemies 
for  a  time,  of  those  men  who,  a  year  ago  misgoverned  you,  and 
brought  about  this  unnatural  war  between  two  great  republics.  We 
are  the  friends  of  the  peaceful  inhabitants  of  the  country  we  occupy, 
and  the  friends  of  your  holy  religion,  its  hierarchy  and  its  priesthood. 
The  same  church  is  found  in  all  parts  of  our  own  country,  crowded 
with  devout  Catholics,  and  respected  by  our  government,  laws  and 
people. 

For  the  church  of  Mexico,  the  unoffending  inhabitants  of  the 
country,  and  their  property,  I  have  from  the  first  done  everything  in 
my  power  to  place  them  under  the  safeguard  of  ma rtial  law,  against 
the  few  bad  men  in  this  army. 

My  orders,  to  that  effect,  known  to  all,  are  precise  and  rigorous. 
Under  them  several  Americans  have  already  been  punished  by  fine, 
for  the  benefit  of  Mexicans,  besides  imprisonment,  and  one  for  a  rape, 
has  been  hung  by  the  neck. 

Is  this  not  a  proof  of  good  faith  and  energetic  discipline  ?  Other 
proofs  shall  be  given  as  often  as  injuries  to  Mexicans  may  be  detected. 

On  the  other  hand,  injuries  committed  by  individuals  or  parties  of 
Mexico  not  belonging  to  the  public  forces,  upon  individuals,  small 
parties,  trains  of  wagons  and  teams,  or  of  pack  mules,  or  any  other 
persons  or  property  belonging  to  this  army,  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
war,  shall  be  punished  with  rigor;  or  if  the  particular  offenders  be 
not  delivered  up  to  the  Mexican  authorities,  the  punishment  shall 
fall  upon  entire  cities,  towns  or  neighborhoods. 

Let,  then,  all  good  Mexicans  remain  at  home,  or  at  their  peaceful 
occupation  ;  but  they  are  invited  to  bring  in  for  sale,  horses,  mules, 
beef,  cattle,  corn,  barley,  wheat,  flour  for  bread,  and  vegetables  ;  cash 
will  be  paid  for  every  thing  this  army  may  take  or  purchase,  and 
protection  will  be  given  to  all  sellers.  The  Americans  are  strong 
enough  to  offer  these  assurances,  which  should  Mexicans  wisely 
accept,  this  war  may  soon  be  happily  ended,  to  the  honor  and 
advantage  of  both  belligerents.  Then  the  Americans  having  con 
verted  enemies  into  friends,  will  be  happy  to  take  leave  of  Mexico 
and  return  to  their  own  country." 

After  the  capitulation  every  thing  remained  quiet  in  the  city,  until 
the  commencement  of  June,  when  the  movements  of  Santa  Anna, 


248 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


seemed  to  indicate  an  intended  attack  upon  it.  The  designs  of  the 
dictator  were  however  unknown,  but  it  was  more  probable  that  he 
would  direct  his  attention  more  to  the  defence  of  the  capital,  than  to 
an  assault  on  an  impregnable  city. 

On  the  21st  of  March  a  detachment  of  Commodore  Perry's  fleet, 
under  Captain  Hunter,  appeared  before  the  town  of  Alvarado,  and 
demanded  its  surrender.  Notwithstanding  the  many  advantages  of 
the  garrison,  the  demand  was  complied  with,  and  the  town  capitulated 
without  firing  a  gun.  The  lieutenant  was  subsequently  called  to 
account,  and  censured  for  having  exceeded  his  authority  and  disobey 
ed  orders  in  this  affair.  His  punishment  was  a  dismissal  from  the 
squadron,  then  actively  engaged  before  the  enemy. 


National   Bridge. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
e   of  ^icrra 


N  the  8th  of  April  the 
American  army  left  Vera 
Cruz,  and  marched  for 
the  interior.  On  the 
17th  they  encountered 
the  Mexicans  at  Sierra 
Gordo,  a  strong  mountain 
pass  situated  on  the  main 
road  to  the  capital,  be 
tween  Vera  Cruz  and 
Jalapa.  It  had  been 
strongly  fortified,  and  was 
occupied  by  more  than 
20,000  troops  under  Santa  Anna.  The  position  completely  com- 

32  249 


250        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

mantis  a  defile  through  which  a  carriage  road  is  cut,  as  well  as  the 
heights  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  circumstance  rendered  it  an 
excellent  military  position  from  which  to  impede  the  progress  of  an 
enemy,  attempting  to  penetrate  to  the  capital. 

On  the  principal  hill,  which  is  called  the  Tefegrapho,  the  Mexi 
cans  constructed  a  parapet  commanding  the  front  and  sides,  thus 
opening  upon  the  principal  roads  and  forming  the  centre  of  their 
camp.  The  carriage  road  situated  to  the  right  of  the  Cerro  del 
Telegrapho,  and  following  a  curve  formed  hy  the  base  of  it,  was  cut 
at  a  point  where  the  defile  was  deepest.  Behind  this  at  a  short 
distance  was  constructed  a  parapet,  which  followed  a  direction 
almost  parallel  with  the  road,  and  completely  commanding  it.  This 
was  constructed  solely  for  the  infantry,  and  as  a  position  for  the  bat 
tery  of  the  glacis.  On  the  right  of  the  carriage  road,  is  a  road  lead 
ing  from  this  battery  to  three  heights,  about  a  mile  from  the  Cerro 
del  Telegrapho.  This  was  fortified  to  impede  the  passage  by  the 
old  road  leading  from  the  Plan  del  Rio,  and  for  the  purpose  of  attack 
ing  by  the  left,  the  carriage  road.  These  three  heights  were  manned 
by  the  Mexicans,  the  advanced  lines  of  the  left,  centre  and  right ;  and 
in  addition  to  them,  a  reserve  was  posted  in  a  defile  through  which 
the  road  passes,  half  a  mile  west  of  the  battery  of  the  glacis,  the 
tierra  caliente  or  low  level,  terminates  at  the  Plan  del  Rio,  the  site 
of  the  American  camp.  From  this  place  the  road  ascends  in  a  long 
circuit  among  lofty  hills,  whose  commanding  points  had  all  been 
fortified  and  garrisoned  by  the  enemy.  Thus  the  intrenchments  ol 
the  Mexican  right  rested  on  a  precipice  that  overhung  an  impassable 
ravine,  forming  the  bed  of  the  flio  Frio  or  Cold  river,  and  extended 
continuously  to  the  road,  on  which  was  placed  a  formidable  battery. 
On  the  opposite  side  was  the  lofty  and  difficult  height  of  Sierra 
Gordo,  commanding  the  approaches  in  all  directions.  The  main 
body  of  the  Mexican  army  was  encamped  on  level  ground,  with  a 
battery  of  five  pieces,  half  a  mile  on  the  height  toward  Jalapa. 

After  examining  these  difficulties,  General  Scott  resolved  to  push 
daily  reconnoissances  towards  the  enemy's  position,  in  order  to  open 
a  route  to  debouch  on  the  Jalapa  road,  while  the  main  army  attacked 
the  enemy's  left  and  rear.  This  was  an  arduous  undertaking.  The 
road  had  to  ho  made  along  difficult  slopes,  over  deep  chasms,  and 


BATTLE  OF  SIERRA  GORDO.  251 

jutting   precipices.     It  was   begun  by  Lieutenant  Beauregard,  and 

continued  by  Captain  Lee  of  the  engineers,  who  advanced  undis 
covered  to  the  Mexican  lines,  when  further  reconnoissance  became 
impossible,  without  an  action.  The  Jalapa  road,  the  destined  point  of 
debouchure  was  not  therefore  gained,  though  believed  to  be  near.  It 
was  now  evident  that  to  reach  that  point,  and  cut  off  the  expected 
retreat,  the  army  must  storm  Sierra  Gordo. 

The  dispositions  for  the  attack  were  promptly  made  by  the  Ame 
rican  commander.  On  the  17th,  General  Twiggs's  division,  rein 
forced  by  that  of  General  Shields,  was  thrown  into  position,  and 
attacked  by  the  Mexicans  while  taking  up  the  ground  to  bivouac 
with  the  opposing  height  for  the  heavy  battery.  The  action  was 
begun  by  a  company  of  seventh  infantry,  under  brevet  Lieutenant 
Gardiner,  and  continued  with  spirit  and  effect  for  some  time.  The 
Mexicans  fought  with  fury,  and  many  officers  and  men  of  the  Ameri 
cans  were  killed  and  wounded.  While  the  fire  was  hottest,  Colonel 
Harney,  suddenly  poured  into  action,  with  his  column  of  riflemen; 
and  before  his  galling  fire  the  Mexicans  fled  on  every  side.  The 
height  was  immediately  occupied,  and  during  the  night  a  battery  of 
one  twenty-four  pounder  -was  placed  upon  it,  together  with  two 
twenty-four  pound  howitzers,  the  whole  under  the  superintendence 
of  Captain  Lee  and  Lieutenant  Hagner.  Next  morning  the  guns 
were  opened  and  served  with  effect  by  Captain  Steptoe  and  Lieu 
tenant  Brown  of  the  third  artillery,  and  Lieutenants  Hagner  and 
Seymore,  first  artillery. 

The  same  night,  with  extreme  toil  and  difficulty,  an  eight  inch 
howitzer  was  put  in  position  across  the  river,  opposite  the  enemy's 
right  battery.  Major  Burham  of  New  York,  with  four  volunteer 
companies,  performed  this  creditable  service,  the  whole  being  super 
intended  by  Lieutenants  Tower  and  Laidly. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  18th.  the  American  columns  moved 
to  the  general  attack.  Pillow's  brigade  assaulted  the  right  of  the  in- 
trenchmerits,  but  was  obliged  to  retire.  General  Twiggs's  division, 
was  ordered  to  storm  the  strongest  position  of  the  enemy — that  of 
Sierra  Gordo ;  and  on  the  result  of  this  assault,  the  fate  of  the  battle 
hung.  The  troops  advanced  steadily  and  rapidly,  amid  a  tremendous 
fire,  pierced  the  centre,  gained  command  of  all  the  intrenchments 


252 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR, 


H  a  1 1 1  e    of   Sierra    Gordo 


and  cut  them  off  from  support.  Colonel  Riley  s  brigade  of  infantry 
now  pushed  on  against  the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  arid  the  guns 
of  their  own  fort  were  soon  turned  to  play  on  that  portion  under  il.e 
immediate  command  of  Santa  Anna.  Meanwhile  General  Shields 
assaulted  the  left,  and  carried  the  rear  battery  of  five  guns,  situated 
on  the  Jalapa  road,  thus  completing  the  rout  of  the  enemy. 

When  the  fate  of  the  battle  was  decided,  the  cavalry,  attended  by  the 
batteries  of  Wall  and  Taylor,  were  pushed  on  towards  Jalapa.  The 
pursuit  was  hot,  and  many  of  the  Mexicans  were  killed  or  wounded. 


BATTLE  or  SIERRA  GORDO. 

This  victory  was  decisive,  the  Mexican  army  being  utterly  dis 
organized.  Its  immediate  consequences  were,  the  possession  of 
Jalapa,  the  abandonment  of  La  Hay  a,  a  most  important  pass  between 
Vera  Cruz  and  the  capital,  and  the  prompt  occupation  by  Worth's 
division  of  the  fortress  of  Perote,  with  its  extensive  armament  of 
sixty-six  guns,  and  mortars,  together  with  a  large  quantity  of  other 
supplies. 

The  whole  American  force  present  at  Sierra  Gordo  was  8,500 
men  ;  their  loss  was  33  officers,  and  398  men — in  all  431,  of 
whom  63  were  killed.  The  force  of  the  enemy  was  estimated  at 
12,000,  and  the  loss  at  1000  or  1200. 

On  the  same  day  that  the  Americans  gained  the  victory  of  Sierra 
Gordo,  the  town  of  Tuspan  was  captured  after  a  slight  resistance, 
by  a  portion  of  the  Gulf  squadron,  under  Commodore  Perry  ;  and 
on  the  following  day  the  city  of  Jalapa  was  taken  without  opposition 
by  General  Twiggs. 


Jalapa. 


From  this  place  General  Scott  issued  a  second  proclamation  to 
the  Mexican  nation,  similar  in   lone  to  his  previous  one,  and  with 


254         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

an  additional  argument  for  the  Mexicans'  attention,  drawn  from  the 
results  of  Sierra  Gordo.  It  was  issued  on  the  llth  of  May,  and 
reached  the  city  of  Mexico  on  the  19th.  Although  severely  de 
nounced  in  most  of  the  journals,  as  an  attempt  at  prevarication  and 
Mexican  dishonor,  it  is  said  to  have  been  productive  of  considerable 
effect  among  the  intelligent  portion  of  the  population ;  and  indeed 
the  style  and  scope  of  it  are  such  as  are  likely  to  prove  acceptable 
to  the  nation  at  large. 

On  the  15th,  a  portion  of  the  American  army,  under  General 
Worth,  approached  Puebla,  in  which  Santa  Anna  was  busily  occu 
pied  in  obtaining  provisions  and  other  necessaries  for  his  army.  On 
arriving  at  the  plain  of  Amasoca,  they  were  met  by  a  body  of 
fifteen  hundred  lancers,  and  a  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  three  of 
the  enemy  were  killed,  and  seven  wounded.  They  then  broke  and 
were  hotly  pursued  by  the  Americans,  who  entered  the  city  with 
out  opposition. 

At  the  retreat  of  the  cavalry  Santa  Anna  left  Puebla  in  haste,  and 
proceeded  toward  the  capital,  which  he  entered  on  the  19th.  Here, 
according  to  report,  his  reception  was  any  thing  but  flattering.  The 
rabble  were  exasperated  by  the  late  heavy  losses,  and  now  deter 
mined  on  revenging  themselves  on  the  man  who  had  deceived  their 
fond  hopes,  and  shown  himself  incapable  of  defending  them.  The 
report  however  of  his  being  stoned  and  openly  cursed,  and  of  the 
guard  being  dpubled  to  save  his  life,  is  probably  an  exaggeration. 
This  is  proven  by  the  fact  that  in  a  few  days  he  was  able  to  raise 
another  large  army,  with  which  he  proceeded  toward  the  del  JRio 
Pass,  and  commenced  fortifications,  with  a  view  to  oppose  the  pro 
gress  of  General  Scott.  Accounts  of  the  movements  and  disposi 
tion  of  his  army,  render  it  highly  probable  that  we  shall  soon  receive 
intelligence  of  another  Sierra  Gordo  affair  between  the  two  com 
manders. 

Recent  news  has  brought  the  important  intelligence  that  General 
Cadwallader,  of  the  Pennsylvania  regiment,  has  had  a  battle  with 
a  body  of  Mexican  cavalry,  and  defeated  them.  We  give  the  par 
ticulars  as  received  by  the  mail,  together  with  other  interesting 
movements  of  portions  of  the  army. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  a  small  reconnoitering  party,  together  with 


BATTLE  OF  SIERRA  GORDO.  255 

some  citizens  and  disbanded  soldiers,  in  number  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty,  with  seventy-five  armed  men  and  thirty  mounted,  left  Puebla 
for  Vera  Cruz.  This  party  was  under  command  of  Captain  Bain- 
bridge,  of  third  artillery.  On  leaving  Jalapa  and  getting  near  Sierra 
Gordo,  this  party  was  informed  that  it  would  not  be  prudent  to  go 
through  the  pass,  as  there  were  four  thousand  Mexicans  in  the  chap- 
paral  along  the  pass.  Previous  to  this  the  officers  who  had  gone  to 
the  rear  of  the  train,  were  fired  at  from  the  chapparal,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  pass. 

The  party  was  organized  and  marched  through  without  meeting 
an  enemy,  and  arrived  at  the  bridge  that  evening.  While  they 
were  bivouacking  on  the  other  side  of  the  bridge,  being  so  fatigued 
that  they  were  unable  to  furnish  a  guard,  they  were  informed  that 
some  persons  were  barricading  the  bridge.  A  guard  was  then  sta 
tioned  below  the  bridge  and  the  encampment,  to  prevent  the  party 
being  surprised. 

At  this  time,  signal  lights  on  the  ridges  and  cliffs  were  distinctly 
seen.  Before  daylight  the  scouting  party  were  sent  out,  and  also 
a  party  to  clear  the  bridge,  which  was  done  without  any  opposi 
tion. 

The  main  body  of  the  party  then  passed  over  the  bridge.  Every 
thing  then  appeared  to  be  safe ;  and  all  danger  being  passed,  Lieu 
tenant  McWilliams  and  Mr.  Frazer  were  sent  back  to  bring  on  the 
train  on  the  other  side  of  the  bridge.  As  they  were  entering  the 
bridge  a  party  of  about  twenty-five  Mexicans  appeared  on  the 
bridge,  and  fired  several  vollies  on  them.  The  wagon  master  and 
four  others,  who  were  passing  the  bridge,  were  fired  on,  and  the 
whole  five  were  killed,  and  the  wagon  captured.  It  was  of  no 
great  value. 

After  the  fire  had  ceased,  a  party  of  lancers  appeared  on  the 
bridge,  and  seemed  to  be  prepared  to  charge,  but  seeing  that  Cap 
tain  Bainbridge's  party  were  preparing  to  receive  them,  they  wheeled 
their  horses  and  galloped  off.  Bainbridge  pursued  his  march  in  good 
order,  followed  by  four  hundred  or  five  hundred  foot  lancers,  who 
hung  upon  his  rear  and  flanks  for  four  or  five  miles,  but  at  a  respect 
ful  distance.  Thus  hemmed  in,  this  little  party  pursued  its  way 


256  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

until  it  arrived  where  Colonel  Mclntosh  had  encamped  with  his 
train. 

The  Mexicans  who  had  attacked  Bainbridge's  party,  were  the 
same  who  had  compelled  Colonel  Mclntosh  to  halt  and  wait  rein 
forcements.  The  party  remained  that  night  in  Mclntosh's  camp, 
and  during  the  whole  time  the  Mexicans  kept  a  continual  fire  on 
the  camp,  approaching  with  the  greatest  boldness  to  very  near  our 
sentinels. 

On  the  next  day  Captain  Bainbridge's  party  resumed  its  march 
to  Vera  Cruz,  being  joined  by  Captain  Duperus's  United  States  dra 
goons,  who  were  sent  back  to  their  horses.  This  company,  with 
its  gallant  captain,  behaved  very  handsomely  at  the  attack  on 
Mclntosh's  camp  ;  indeed  it  was  generally  admitted  that  Colonel 
Mclntosh's  command  was  saved  by  the  gallantry  of  Duperus's 
party. 

Captain  Bainbridge's  party  continued  their  march  to  Vera  Cruz, 
where  they  arrived  in  safety. 

In  the  mean  time,  Duperus's  party  having  a  long  return  train  to 
guard,  and  being  threatened  by  a  large  party  of  lancers,  halted  at 
Santa  Fe,  where  they  were  charged  by  a  greatly  superior  force, 
which  they  gallantly  repulsed,  killing  many  of  the  enemy  and  suf 
fering  no  loss  themselves.  It  was  said,  however,  that  some  of  our 
wagons  were  cut  off  and  the  drivers  were  taken  prisoners.  Captain 
Duperus  arrived  safely  in  Vera  Cruz,  having  lost  three  men  killed, 
and  three  wounded. 

On  the  day  Captain  Bainbridge's  party  left  Mclntosh's  camp, 
General  Cadwallader  had  arrived  with  a  force  of  eight  hundred 
men  and  two  howitzers,  under  command,  and  pushed  on  towards 
the  National  Bridge.  On  approaching  the  bridge,  General  Cadwal 
lader  occupied  the  heights  commanding  the  bridge,  from  which  the 
enemy  had  fired  on  Captain  Bainbridge's  party,  where  he  was 
attacked  by  a  large  force  of  the  Mexicans,  posted  on  the  ridges  and 
in  the  chapparal,  and  some  hard  fighting  was  carried  on  for  several 
hours,  the  Mexicans  losing  over  one  hundred  men,  and  General 
Cadwallader  losing  some  fifteen  killed,  and  some  thirty  or  forty 
wounded :  the  Mexicans  were  repulsed. 


BATTLE  OF  SIERRA  GORDO.  257 

The  bridge  was  successfully  passed  by  General  Cadwallader, 
who  was  on  his  way  to  Jalapa. 

The  estimated  loss  of  Colonel  Mclntosh's  party  was  about  four 
thousand  dollars.  The  road  for  miles  was  strewed  with  empty 
boxes  and  bacon  sides,  which  had  been  captured  by  the  enemy. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction  in  the  army  respecting  the 
command  which  had  charge  of  the  train.  There  will  be  a  court  of 
inquiry  into  the  subject. 

The  garrison  of  Jalapa  has  been  broken  up  by  order  of  General 
Scott,  and  all  the  sick  and  government  stores  have  been  sent  to  Perote 
Castle,  so  that  this  line  of  communication  is  entirely  closed.  General 
Scott  has  had  a  road  opened  from  Perote  to  Tuspan,  from  which,  in 
future  all  our  stores  and  men  will  be  sent. 

The  success  of  the  attack  on  Mclntosh's  command  has  given  great 
confidence  to  the  guerillas,  who  are  swarming  in  great  numbers 
through  the  country,  and  attacking  all  our  parties  large  and  small. 

It  was  chiefly  owing  to  the  gallantry  of  Captain  Bennett,  the  pay 
master,  that  the  specie  wagons  in  charge  of  the  party  were  saved. 
He  was  in  one  of  them  himself  when  the  wagon  was  attacked,  and 
fought  like  a  tiger. 

There  are  about  one  thousand  men  encamped  at  Vera  Cruz. 
General  Shields  was  at  Jalapa,  and  was  about  to  leave  for  the  United 
States,  when  he  received  an  order  from  General  Scott  to  join  him  at 
Puebla. 

There  are  no  preparations  to  defend  any  point  between  Puebla  and 
the  capital ;  all  the  odds  and  ends  of  this  army  are  collected  in  the 
city,  about  twenty  thousand  in  number,  but  poorly  armed,  and  are 
miserably  provided  for. 

There  was  a  small  pronunciamento  at  the  city  of  Mexico.  It 
was  early  put  down  by  General  Bustamente.  It  was  got  up  by 
factions  of  the  populace  party,  and  Gomez  Farias  party.  Their  cry 
was  t4  Down  with  Santa  Anna,"  but  the  president  ad  interim  still 
maintains  his  power  and  influence. 

Congress  had  refused  to  accept  his  resignation. 
We  have  about  six  thousand  men  at  Puebla,  under  command  of 
Worth  and  Quitman.     General  Scott  will  remain  at  Puebla  until  he 
is  reinforced. 

33 


258  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

General  Bravo  is  in  command  of  the  army  at  the  capital. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  we  have  learned  that  in  the  affair 
between  General  Cadwalader  and  the  Mexicans  at  the  National 
Bridge,  the  company  of  Lieutenant  Blakely,  of  the  newly-raised  vo 
lunteers,  with  two  howitzers,  charged  the  barricades  and  swept  them 
with  a  few  discharges  from  the  howitzers. 

In  passing  through,  however,  Lieutenant  Blakely  received  a  heavy 
fire  from  the  enemy  on  the  ridge  which  commands  the  road,  by 
which  he  sustained  a  loss  of  one  killed,  and  four  wounded,  the  lieu 
tenant  himself  being  wounded  in  the  leg.  They  also  lost  several 
horses.  The  heights  were  then  charged  on  the  right  and  left  of  the 
road  and  gallantly  carried,  the  enemy  flying  before  them  in  great 
confusion. 

When  General  Cadwalader  had  passed  the  bridge,  he  was  at 
tacked  by  a  large  party  of  guerillas,  who  kept  up  a  continual  fire  on 
his  men  for  a  long  distance. 

At  Sierra  Gordo,  it  was  thought  from  reports  of  heavy  firing  that 
the  enemy  had  made  a  stand  in  great  numbers,  though  no  apprehen 
sions  were  entertained  for  the  safety  of  General  Cadwalader's  com 
mand,  who  was  moving  in  a  bold  and  steady  manner — the  only  way 
to  deal  with  the  Mexicans. 

Captain  Gates's  company  of  third  dragoons  was  sent  by  General 
Cadwalader  to  the  rear,  to  reinforce  the  guards  of  the  train,  who 
were  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  lancers,  which  they  repulsed  with 
considerable  loss. 

There  is  much  sickness  in  Vera  Cruz,  but  very  little  in  the 
castle. 

General  Cadwalader  is  much  praised  for  the  energy  and  prompt 
ness  of  his  movements  to  the  rescue  of  Colonel  Mclntosh,  and  for 
the  bravery  and  skill  with  which  he  scattered  the  s  warms  of  guerillas, 
grown  confident  by  the  success  of  their  previous  enterprises. 

General  Scott  was  at  Puebla  at  the  last  accounts.  The  editors 
of  El  Arcoiris  had  received  dates  from  the  capital  up  to  the  2d  of 
June. 

Santa  Anna  had  a  second  time  sent  in  his  resignation  of  the  presi 
dency.  Congress  had  not,  up  to  that  time,  accepted  it.  He  had  also 
made  a  formal  resignation  of  his  office  as  commander-in-chief  of  the 


BATTLE  OF  SIEKRA  GORDO.  259 

army,  which,  like  his  resignation  of  the  presidency,  remained  in 
abeyance. 

Five  Mexican  generals,  whose  names  are  not  given,  have  been 
arrested,  and  sent  to  the  different  states  for  confinement. 

The  gallant  Captain  Walker  has  commenced  his  work  of  retalia 
tion  on  the  guerillas.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th  instant,  he  started 
with  his  command  from  Perote,  on  an  expedition  some  distance  into 
the  interior.  During  the  expedition  he  succeeded  in  capturing  nine 
guerillas  and  an  alcalde.  He  has  employed  them  in  clearing  the 
streets  and  sinks. 

A  letter  had  been  received  in  Vera  Cruz  on  the  1 5th  instant,  pre 
vious  to  the  sailing  of  the  Galveston,  direct  from  the  head-quarters  of 
General  Scott,  stating  that  General  Scott  had  issued  orders  for  the 
removal  of  the  prisoners  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Tuspan.  This  change 
was  said  to  be  partly  owing  to  the  sickness  in  Vera  Cruz,  and  because 
communications  could  be  more  easily  kept  up  between  Tuspan  and 
Puebla,  than  between  the  latter  place  and  Vera  Cruz. 

The  same  mail  informs  us  that  Generals  Scott  and  Worth,  with 
the  main  body  of  the  army,  had  advanced  as  far  as  Rio  Frio,  with 
out  opposition,  when  they  were  met  by  a  deputation  from  the  capital, 
bearing  propositions  of  peace.  The  exact  tenor  of  these  propositions 
is  not  known ;  but  they  were  of  such  a  nature,  that  General  Scott 
refused  to  accept  them,  and  determined  to  push  on  his  forces  for  the 
capital.  General  Herrara  is  understood  to  have  been  elected  presi 
dent,  and  from  the  deep  anxiety  felt  by  the  new  government  to  stay 
the  approach  of  the  Americans,  it  is  thought  that  further  concessions 
would  be  made  to  General  Scott  before  he  took  up  his  line  of  march 
from  Rio  Frio. 

Such  are  the  principal  occurrences  in  the  Mexican  war  up  to  the 
present  time.  The  languor  which  has  characterized  the  operations  of 
the  last  month,  will  probably  soon  be  broken,  either  by  the  news  of 
peace  or  of  another  severe  engagement.  All  the  active  operations, 
are  confined  to  General  Scott,  as  Taylor  is  now  cramped  by  want 
troops,  and  of  the  necessary  supplies  for  his  small  army. 

At  the  present  time  (August  1 847,)  it  appears  by  the  most  recent 
dates  from  Mexico,  that  the  government  of  that  country  have  ap 
pointed  or  are  about  to  appoint  commissoners  to  negotiate  a  treaty 


2(30 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


of  peace.  This  demonstration  may  be  the  result  of  a  sincere  desire 
for  peace,  or  of  a  determination  to  gain  time,  by  an  apparent  wil 
lingness  to  grant  what  our  government  evidently  desires.  Insincerity, 
treachery  and  bad  faith  have  marked  the  conduct  of  the  Mexicans 
throughout  the  war ;  and  every  fact,  connected  with  the  contest,  goes 
to  prove  that  it  is  in  vain  to  parley  with  them.  In  negotiation  they 
have  recourse  to  such  deceit,  that  we  are  no  match  for  them  ;  but  in 
the  field  they  are  no  match  for  us.  Whenever  a  peace  is  concluded 
we  shall  obtain  from  them  whatever  we  are  able  to  gain  by  a  demon 
stration  of  unquestionable  power ;  strong  and  decisive  measures  are 
the  only  ones  which  can  bring  the  Mexicans  to  a  sense  of  their  true 
position,  and  make  them  yield  to  the  demands  of  justice.  So  long 
as  they  can  amuse  us,  and  delay  active  operations  by  delusive  nego 
tiations  about  peace,  the  war  will  be  protracted  ;  but  when  it  is  per 
ceived  by  them  that  further  disasters  cannot  be  arrested  but  by 
submission,  then  peace  will  ensue. 


General   Taylor's    Kitchen. 

CHAPTER  XV. 
£o*cltt*iott. 

ENERAL  TAYLOR  has  re 
mained  during  the  last  few 
months,  for  the  most  part  at  his 
head-quarters  near  Monterey, 
awaiting  reinforcements,  neces 
sary  to  enable  him  to  advance 
on  San  Luis  Potosi.  This 
must  be  sufficiently  trying  to  a 
commander  of  so  active  a  dis 
position,  at  a  moment  when 
the  state  of  the  war  calls  for 
active  measures.  But  this  is 
not  the  only  trial  to  which  his  patience  Iras  been  recently  subjected. 

261 


262  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

General  Villamil,  the  Mexican  commander  at  San  Luis  Potosi,  ad 
dressed  to  him  in  the  month  of  May,  a  letter  of  a  peculiarly  insulting 
character,  the  tenor  of  which  will  appear  by  the  answer  of  General 
Taylor,  which  we  give  below.  This  answer  is  highly  characteristic 
of  the  general,  evincing  at  once  his  firmness  and  moderation,  together 
with  that  high  bred  courtesy,  which  even  under  the  most  exasperat 
ing  circumstances  ever  marks  the  true  gentleman. 

The  answer  of  General  Taylor  to  General  Villamil  is  as  follows  : 

HEAH-QUAKTKRS,  NEAR  MONTEREY,  May  19th,  1847. 

SIR — I  received  yesterday  your  communication  of  the  20th  instant, 
which  informs  me  that  you  are  instructed  by  the  President  substi 
tute  of  the  republic  to  address  me,  with  a  view  to  demand  from  me 
a  categorical  reply — "  whether  my  wishes  and  my  instructions  are 
to  prosecute  the  war  in  conformity  to  the  laws  of  nations  and  as  war 
is  conducted  by  civilized  countries,  or  as  barbarous  tribes  carry  it 
on  among  themselves,  it  being  understood  that  Mexico  is  disposed 
and  resolved  to  accept  the  manner  which  is  proposed  or  carried  out, 
and  awaits  the  result  in  order  to  dictate  its  measures  accordingly." 

If  these  instructions  were  not  communicated  to  me  through  an 
authority  as  highly  respectable  as  yourself,  I  should  refuse  to  believe 
they  emanated  from  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  republic,  containing, 
as  in  fact  they  do  contain,  in  my  judgment,  an  implied  but  not  less 
deliberate  insult  towards  me  and  towards  the  government  which  I 
have  the  honor  to  represent.  Viewing  them  in  this  light,  I  shall 
decline  giving  the  categorical  reply  which  is  demanded  of  me,  which 
I  do  with  the  respect  due  to  his  excellency  the  president. 

As  you  have  thought  fit  to  communicate  to  me  the  instructions  of 
your  government  at  some  length  upon  the  manner  in  which  the  war 
has  been  carried  on  upon  my  part,  I  improve  this  opportunity  to 
make  some  remarks  upon  the  subject. 

The  outrages  to  which  especial  reference  is  made,  came  to  my 
knowledge  after  they  had  been  perpetrated,  and  I  can  assure  you 
that  neither  yourself  nor  the  President  of  the  republic  can  have  felt 
deeper  pain,  than  that  which  I  felt  on  the  occasion.  All  the  means 
at  my  disposal  within  the  limits  of  our  laws  were  employed,  but  in 
the  greater  number  of  cases  fruitlessly,  to  identify  and  punish  the 


LETTER  TO  VILLAM1L.  263 

delinquents.  I  cannot  suppose  that  you  have  been  so  ill-informed, 
as  to  believe  such  atrocities  were  committed  by  my  connivance, 
order,  or  consent,  or  that  they  by  themselves  give  an  idea  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  war  has  been  prosecuted  in  this  part  of  Mexico. 
They  were  in  truth  unfortunate  exceptions,  caused  by  circumstances 
which  I  could  not  control. 

It  appears  to  me  in  point  to  inform  you,  that  from  the  moment 
the  American  army  set  foot  upon  the  territory  of  Mexico,  it  has 
suffered  individually,  the  loss  of  officers  and  soldiers  who  have  been 
assassinated  by  Mexicans,  sometimes  almost  in  sight  of  their  own 
camp.  An  outrage  of  this  character  preceded  the  melancholy  affair  of 
Catana.  I  do  not  mention  these  truths  with  the  view  of  justifying  in 
any  manner,  the  practice  of  retaliation,  because  my  government  is 
sufficiently  civilized  to  make  a  distinction  between  the  lawless  acts  of 
individuals,  and  the  general  policy  which  governs  the  operations  of 
an  enemy  ;  but  you  have  endeavored  to  make  a  comparison  between 
our  respective  governments  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  they 
conduct  the  war,  which  I  cannot  pass  without  remark.  In  this  con 
nection,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Mexican  troops  have 
given  to  the  world  the  example  of  killing  the  wounded  upon  the  field 
of  battle. 

As  you  have  adverted  to  the  requisition  which  I  have  made  upon 
the  people  of  these  states  to  make  indemnity  for  the  losses  incurred 
hy  the  destruction  of  one  of  our  trains,  I  take  the  liberty  of  informing 
you  that  this  was  not  the  act  of  the  Mexican  troops  exclusively,  but 
that  the  rancheros  of  the  country  were  chiefly  concerned  in  it ;  and 
that  the  subsequent  assassination  and  mutilation  of  the  unarmed 
teamsters  were  marked  by  an  atrocious  barbarity  unequalled  in  the 
present  war. 

It  is  with  pain  that  I  find  myself  under  the  necessity  of  address 
ing  you  in  a  manner  to  which  I  am  little  accustomed  ;  but  1  have 
been  provoked  to  do  so  by  the  object  and  the  manner  of  your  com 
munication,  which  is  objectionable,  in  my  estimation,  as  well  in  its 
insinuations  as  in  its  tone.  With  respect  to  the  implied  threat  of 
retaliation,  I  beg  you  to  understand  that  I  hold  it  at  its  true  worth, 
and  that  I  am  at  all  times  prepared  to  act  accordingly,  whatever  may 


264  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

be  the  policy  or  mode  of  carrying  on  the  war  which  the  Mexican 
government  or  its  generals  may  think  it  proper  to  adopt. 
I  am,  sir,  with  much  respect,  your  obedient  servant. 

During  the  recent  period  of  inaction,  General  Taylor  has  been 
frequently  addressed  by  individuals  and  committees,  in  reference  to 
his  position  as  an  acknowledged  candidate  for  the  office  of  President 
of  the  United  States.  His  answers  to  these  communications  are 
always  dignified  and  patriotic,  evincing  that  with  him  duty  is  a 
primary,  and  office  a  secondary  consideration.  If  he  should  ever  be 
raised  to  this  elevated  situation,  it  is  very  evident  that  he  will  stamp 
upon  the  government  his  own  character  of  energy,  firmness  and  de 
cision.  No  party  or  clique  will  ever  direct  his  movements,  or  divert 
the  straight  line  of  his  manly  policy. 

In  person  General  Taylor  is  described  as  being  about  five  feet 
eight  inches  high,  inclined  to  corpulency  and  a  little  round  shouldered. 
His  weight  comes  up  to  the  standard  of  the  old  revolutionary  generals, 
most  of  whom  exceeded  two  hundred  pounds.  His  legs  are  remark 
ably  short,  so  that  while  sitting  on  horseback,  he  appears  much  taller 
than  he  really  is.  He  has  a  high  forehead,  a  laughing  but  penetrating 
eye,  and  a  striking  expression  of  firmness  about  the  mouth.  His  hair 
is  nearly  white,  and  the  expression  of  his  countenance  is  strongly  indi 
cative  of  the  humanity  and  benevolence  which  so  signally  mark  his 
character.  His  habits  are  remarkably  plain,  and  his  style  of  living, 
simple  in  the  extreme.*  He  hardly  ever  appears  in  full  dress,  pre 
ferring  a  linen  roundabout,  cotton  pantaloons,  a  straw  hat  in  warm 
weather.  In  rainy  or  cold  weather,  he  appears  in  that  famous 

*  The  following  description  of  General  Taylor's  kitchen,  of  which  we  have 
placed  a  picture  at  tha  beginning  of  this  chapter,  will  serve  to  illustrate  the 
simplicity  of  his  style  of  living. 

CAMP  BTEAR  MONTEREY,  May  llth,  1847. 

What  do  you  think  of  this  picture  of  the  kitchen  of  the  old  general,  or  rather 
what  do  you  think  of  the  kitchen  itself?  It  is  quite  a  good  representation  of  it. 
Here  are  barrels,  tubs  made  of  old  barrels,  pails,  tin  dishes  and  the  good  old 
coffee-pot  arranged  before  you,  with  not  a  few  stumps  of  old  trees, — an  odd  place 
I  assure  you  is  this  same  kitchen.  It  is  all  out  of  doors,  for  there  is  nothing 
but  a  rude  roof,  made  of  slabs,  with  a  few  large  rocks  pulled  up  beneath 
it  on  one  side,  against  which  the  fire  is  made,  to  keep  it  from  being  entirely 
blown  away.  Don't  forget  the  harness  of  General  Taylor's  travelling  wagon, 
upon  one  of  the  corners  of  the  mess  tub,  part  of  which  you  sec  on  the  right, 
with  the  interpreter's  teat  between  it  and  the  kitchen. 


CONCLUSION.  205 

old  brown  overcoat,  which  has  been  worn  in  so  many  campaigns, 
and  which  promises  to  rival  in  celebrity  the  gray  surtout  of  Napo 
leon. 

General  Taylor's  character  appears  so  striking  in  the  actions 
which  we  have  recorded,  and  in  his  admirable  correspondence,  that 
it  seems  hardly  necessary  in  the  present  instance  to  conform  to  the 
usual  biographical  rule  of  presenting  it  in  the  shape  of  a  summary. 

His  debut  at  Fort  Harrison  evinced  the  qualities,  of  firmness,  pre 
sence  of  mind,  coolness  and  indomitable  courage.  The  long  interval 
of  camp  duty,  w^iich  divides  this  great  epoch  of  his  life,  from  that 
which  is  marked  by  the  events  of  the  Florida  campaign,  seems  lo 
have  afforded  him  means  of  acquiring  those  brilliant  military  accom 
plishments  which  recent  events  have  developed.  He  was  a  most 
diligent  reader  of  history,  tactics  and  general  literature,  and  much 
of  his  time  was  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  that  admirable  talent  for 
composition,  which  appears  in  his  despatches. 

A  recent  writer*  has  compared  these  despatches  with  those  of 
General  Greene,  in  the  following  remarkable  passage. 

"  When  removed  to  an  independent  command  in  the  Southern 
country,  Greene  at  once  asserted  his  claim  to  the  unhesitating  honors 
of  a  grateful  country,  and  the  correspondence,  presently  to  be  re 
sumed,  will  show  through  what  difficulties  and  embarrassments  he 
fought  his  way,  and  how  resolutely  he  overcame  them  all.  To  Mr. 
Reed,  he  wrote  in  the  confidence  of  the  most  confiding  friendship, 
and  in  what  he  writes,  either  to  his  confidential  friends  or  his  official 
superiors,  no  one  can  fail  being  struck  with  the  simple  and  manly 
style  in  which  he  expresses  himself — the  homely,  plain  English,  that 
best  of  idioms  formerly  thought,  telling  his  own  story  in  the  most 
direct  form,  without  a  superfluous  word  or  attempt  to  adorn  the 
simple  and  stern  realities  which  he  described.  General  Greene's 
despatches  from  South  Carolina  during  the  campaign  of  1781,  are 
worthy  of  the  same  praise  which,  by  common  consent,  at  the  mo 
ment  that  I  am  writing,  is  bestowed  on  the  public  and  private  letters 
from  the  conqueror  of  Monterey  and  Buena  Vista.  The  curious  in 
quirer  may  find  a  further  and  closer  parallel  between  these  gallant 

*  William  B.  Reed,  Esq.,  in  his  Life  of  President  Reed. 


26G         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

men,  the  soldiers  of  America's  unpretending  chivalry,  in  the  em 
barrassments  which  perplexed  their  military  career,  and  in  the 
honors  won  at  a  comparatively  late  period  of  their  professional  lives. 
One  might  have  passed  away  unknown  and  uncared  for  in  some  dis 
tant  frontier  garrison,  with  no  higher  function  than  to  watch  trans 
planted  Indians,  but  for  the  accidental  necessity  or  motives  of  policy, 
which  led  to  his  appointment  to  the  Mexican  frontier;  and  Greene 
would  have  been  comparatively  unknown  to  fame,  but  for  his  pro 
motion  in  the  last  year  of  the  Revolution,  to  the  command  in  the 
Carolinas.  Such  are  the  accidents  that  leads  to  the  developement 
and  illustration  of  genius." — Vol.  2,  p.  341. 

All  the  military  despatches  of  General  Taylor  are  characterized 
not  only  by  precision,  energy  and  vivacity,  but  by  a  modesty  and 
ever  present  sense  of  propriety,  which  have  won  for  him  the  ad 
miration  of  the  whole  literary  world.  But  his  extraordinary  merit 
as  a  writer  is  not  confined  to  his  military  letters.  When  placed  in 
circumstances  calling  for  extreme  delicacy  of  expression,  his  own 
heart  dictates  the  language  of  true  feeling  ;  and  his  style  is  but  an 
index  of  the  noblest  sentiments  of  humanity. 

The  following  letter  addressed  to  the  Honorable  Henry  Clay,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  death  of  his  gallant  son  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clay, 
will  justify  this  remark. 

HEAD-QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF   OCCUPATION. 

Agua  Nueva,  Mexico,  March  1st,  1847. 

MY  DEAR  SIR — You  will  no  doubt  have  received,  before  this  can 
reach  you,  the  deeply  distressing  intelligence  of  the  death  of  your 
son  in  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista.  It  is  with  no  wish  of  intruding 
upon  the  sanctuary  of  parental  sorrow,  and  with  no  hope  of  adminis 
tering  any  consolation  to  your  wounded  heart,  that  I  have  taken  the 
liberty  of  addressing  you  these  few  lines  ;  but. I  have  felt  it  a  duty 
which  I  owe  to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished  dead,  to  pay  a  will 
ing  tribute  to  his  many  excellent  qualities,  and  while  my  feelings  are 
still  fresh  to  express  the  desolation  which  his  untimely  loss,  and  that 
of  other  kindred  spirits,  have  occasioned. 

I  had  but  a  casual  acquaintance  with  your  son,  until  he  became 
for  a  time  a  member  of  my  military  family  ;  and  I  can  truly  say, 
that  no  one  ever  won  more  rapidly  upon  my  regard,  or  established 


CONCLUSION.  267 

a  more  lasting  claim  to  my  respect  and  esteem.  Manly  and  honor 
able  in  every  impulse,  with  no  feeling  but  for  the  honor  of  the  ser 
vice  and  of  the  country,  lie  gave  every  assurance  that  in  the  hour  of 
need  I  could  lean  with  confidence  upon  his  support.  Nor  was  I  dis 
appointed.  Under  the  guidance  of  himself  and  the  lamented  McKee, 
gallantly  did  the  sons  of  Kentucky,  in  the  thickest  of  the  strife,  up 
hold  the  honor  of  the  state  and  of  the  country. 

A  gratefid  people  will  do  justice  to  the  memory  of  those  who  fell 
on  that  eventful  day.  But  I  may  be  permitted  to  express  the  bereave 
ment  which  I  feel  in  the  loss  of  valued  friends.  To  your  son  I  felt 
bound  by  the  strongest  ties  of  private  regard  ;  and  when  I  miss  his 
familiar  face,  and  those  of  McKee  and  Hardin,  I  can  say  with  truth, 
that  I  feel  no  exultation  in  our  success. 

With  the  expression  of  my  deepest  and  most  heartfelt  sympathies 
for  your  irreparable  loss,  I  remain,  my  dear  sir,  most  faithfully 
and  sincerely, 

Your  friend, 

Z.  TAYLOR. 
Hon.  HEJTRT  CLAY,  New  Orleans,  La. 

As  a  military  commander,  General  Taylor  is  distinguished  by 
abilities  of  the  very  highest  order.  His  whole  career  since  the  com 
mencement  of  the  Mexican  war,  has  excited  the  admiration  of  mili 
tary  men  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  His  foresight  and 
his  powers  of  combination  are  not  less  remarkable  than  his  boldness 
and  decision  in  taking  his  attitude  before  the  enemy,  and  his  indomi 
table  firmness  in  sustaining  that  attitude  to  the  last.  Having  once 
adopted  his  line  of  operations,  no  force  can  intimidate  him  or  move 
his  resolution.  His  march  from  Point  Isabel  to  Fort  Brown,  through 
the  overwhelming  masses  of  the  enemy,  evinces  this  characteristic. 
His  powers  of  combination  were  not  less  signally  shown  at  the 
siege  of  Monterey,  and  the  ever  memorable  field  of  Buena  Vista.  His 
advance  from  Monterey  to  fight  the  last  mentioned  battle,  exhibits 
the  capacity  for  conducting  war  on  a  great  scale,  and  deciding  the 
fate  of  a  whole  campaign  by  a  single  masterly  stroke  of  strategy. 
The  moral  force  of  his  character  inspiring  confidence  among  the 
soldiers,  appears  also  with  singular  brilliancy  in  this  great  battle.  His 
name  on  that  occasion  was  a  "  tower  of  strength." 


268  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

His  calmness,  readiness  and  perfect  self-possession  amidst  the  ex 
citing  events  of  the  battle-field,  appear  conspicuous  on  all  occasions. 
No  commander  has  ever  exhibited  these  qualities  in  a  higher  degree. 

General  Taylor's  conduct  towards  the  soldiers  under  his  command 
is  marked  by  a  species  of  parental  kindness,  which  has  gained  their 
affections  in  a  remarkable  degree.  A  contemporary  writer  observes 
that  "  Many  of  the  traits  ascribed  to  General  Taylor  have  been  assi 
milated  by  some  of  his  admirers  to  the  leading  military  characteris 
tics  of  Frederick  the  Great.  But,  unlike  Frederick,  Taylor  is  any 
thing  but  a  martinet  in  discipline;  and,  though  his  movements  of 
small  bodies  of  troops  against  vast  odds  are  characterized  by  the 
vigorous  will  and  iron  determination  of  Frederick,  the  arbitrary  dis 
position  of  the  Prussian  despot  is  wholly  alien  to  his  tolerant  and 
candid  nature." 

His  popularity  with  soldiers  is  equal  to  that  of  Napoleon  ;  but  he 
has  shown  himself  much  more  humane  and  sparing  of  human  life, 
than  that  illustrious  commander.  The  flag  of  truce  at  Buena  Vista 
sent  to  save  the  lives  of  the  six  thousand  Mexican  cavalry,  which 
were  menaced  by  the  terrible  dragoons  of  May,  proves  that  his 
humanity  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  men  of  his  own  army.  He  is 
ever  anxious  to  spare  the  unnecessary  effusion  of  blood. 

The  following  extract  from  the  New  York  Literary  World  is 
given  not  only  to  throw  further  light  on  the  character  of  General 
Taylor,  by  the  testimony  of  a  personal  acquaintance  ;  but  to  make 
the  reader  acquainted  with  some  incidents  of  his  life,  which  have  not 
hitherto  been  made  public.  "  General  Taylor  is  the  American  whom 
Carlyle  would  recognize  as  'a  hero'  worthy  of  his  pen's  most  elo 
quent  recognition  :  THE  MAN  OF  DUTY  in  an  age  of  Self !  An  Ame 
rican  in  everything  ;  in  valor,  in  strong  muscular  sense  ;  in  simplicity 
and  directness  and  cordiality  of  feeling  ;  an  American  in  everything 
save  in  devotion  to  our  new  political  God  of  Expediency. 

As  plain  Lieutenant-Colonel  Taylor  the  writer  of  this  has  often 
seen  '  Old  Zach,'  putting  his  men  through  the  battalion  drill  on  the 
northern  banks  of  the  Wisconsin  in  the  depth  of  February.  This 
would  seem  only  characteristic  of  the  man  who  has  since  proved 
himself  equally  *  Rough  and  Ready'  under  the  scorching  sun  of  the 
tropics.  But,  looking  back  through  long  years  to  many  a  pleasant 


CONCLUSION.  ,  269 

hour  spent  in  the  well  selected  library  of  the  post  which  Colonel 
Taylor  then  commanded,  we  recur  now  with  singular  interest  to  the 
agreeable  conversations  held  in  the  room  which  was  the  colonel's 
favorite  resort,  amid  the  intervals  of  duty.  Nor  will  the  reader  think 
these  personal  reminiscences  impertinent,  when  we  add  that  our 
object  in  recurring  to  them  here  is  simply  to  mention  that  remem 
bering  alike  the  wintry  drill  and  the  snug  book-room,  Taylor's  hardi 
hood — the  idea  of  which  now  so  readily  attaches  to  his  soubriquet  ol 
Rough  and  Ready — would  certainly  not  then  have  struck  a  stranger 
as  more  characteristic  than  his  liberal-minded  intelligence.  Remark 
able  sincerity  of  manner,  a  dash  of  humor  amid  diffident  reserve, 
blended  with  a  cordiality  that  for  want  of  a  better  phrase  we  should 
call  mesmeric,  characterized  the  mien  of  the  distinguished  man,  upon 
whom  the  eyes  of  all  his  countrymen  are  now  fixed  with  such  curious 
interest.  He  was  one  of  those  few  men  who  instantly  impress  a 
stranger  with  the  idea  of  frankness  and  reality  of  character,  while  still 
suggesting  to  the  imagination  that  there  was  much  to  study  in  him. 
Above  all  was  it  apparent  that  his  singular  modesty  was  genuine — 
was  of  the  soul ;  that  he  was  a  man  whose  strong  individuality  his 
nearest  intimates  must  hesitate  to  write  about  and  publish  to  the 
world  in  terms  of  praise.  And  we  know  the  fact  that  in  one  instance 
a  friend  whom  the  general  had  obliged,  when  replying  to  some  news 
paper  disparagement  of  Taylor's  military  standing  and  services  at 
the  commencement  of  the  Florida  war,  was  deterred  by  his  know 
ledge  of  this  trait  from  communicating  his  article  to  the  subject  of  it, 
lest  the  terms  of  eulogy  he  had  employed  might  be  offensive  to 
Taylor.  This  dislike  of  puffery,  nay,  this  almost  wayward  turning 
one's  back  upon  fame  is,  however,  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
most  jealous  sense  of  what  is  due  to  one's  personal  character ;  and 
that  quality  General  Taylor's  published  correspondence  with  the 
Department  of  War  proves  he  possesses  in  the  most  lively  degree.  Me 
there  shows  that  he  leaves  the  laurels  of  the  hero  to  take  care  of 
themselves,  but  that  the  rights  and  the  character  of  Zachary  Taylor 
must  not  be  tampered  with.  And  this  is  the  quality  which  will  ever 
prevent  him  from  becoming  the  tool  of  party.  He  is  a  man  that 
cannot  be  used  by  others  save  in  the  line  of  his  duty.  A  man  who 
cannot  be  approached  to  be  thus  used ;  for  there  is  sometimes  a 


270  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

shrewd  fire  in  the  glance  of  his  friendly  eye,  an  epigrammatic  hearti 
ness  of  response  bolting  forth  amid  his  taciturnity,  that  would  utterly 
bewilder  and  confound  the  ordinary  man  of  the  world,  who  approach 
ed  him  with  double  dealing  phrase,  or  selfish  insincerity  of  purpose. 

With  regard  to  his  personal  appearance,  of  all  the  portraits  of  Gene 
ral  Taylor  that  we  have  seen,  and  there  is  one  in  each  of  the  volumes 
before  us,  that  published  in  Graham's  Magazine  strikes  us  as  de 
cidedly  the  best.  In  some  respects  it  is  flattered,  and  in  others  it 
hardly  comes  up  to  the  strongly  marked  character  expressed  in  the 
face  of  the  original ;  as  a  whole,  however,  it  is  far  more  faithful  than 
the  others.  Its  flattery,  we  imagine,  lies  in  making  Taylor  younger 
than  he  now  appears.  For  his  looks  in  the  picture  are  those  which 
we  recall  when  seeing  him  just  after  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk 
campaign,  now  many  years  gone  by.  The  stamped  medals  published 
in  this  city  lately  by  J.  P.  Ridner  we  should  think  would  better  re 
present  his  present  appearance. 

While  indulging  in  these  gossiping  references,  which  we  know  will 
interest  some  of  our  readers,  we  may  here  relate  an  anecdote  of  Gen 
eral  Taylor,  which  we  once  heard,  amid  the  early  scenes  of  the 
Black  Hawk  war  on  Rock  river,  and  which,  though  never  verified 
to  our  knowledge,  still  seems  most  characteristic  of  the  Rough  and 
Ready  of  later  years.  Some  time  after  Stillman's  defeat  by  Black 
Hawk's  band,  Taylor,  marching  with  a  large  body  of  volunteers 
and  a  handful  of  regulars  in  pursuit  of  the  hostile  Indian  force, 
found  himself  approaching  Rock  river,  then  asserted  by  many  to  be 
the  true  northwestern  boundary  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  The  vol 
unteers,  as  Taylor  was  informed,  would  refuse  to  cross  the  stream. 
They  were  militia,  they  said,  called  out  for  the  defence  of  the  state, 
and  it  was  unconstitutional  to  order  them  to  march  beyond  its 
frontier  into  the  Indian  country.  Taylor  thereupon  halted  his 
command,  and  encamped  within  the  acknowledged  boundaries  of 
Illinois.  He  would  not,  as  the  relator  of  the  story  said,  budge  an 
inch  further  without  orders.  He  had  already  driven  Black  Hawk 
out  of  the  state,  but  the  question  of  crossing  Rock  river  seemei 
hugely  to  trouble  his  ideas  of  integrity  to  the  constitution  on  one 
side,  and  military  expediency  on  the  other.  During  the  night, 
however,  orders  came,  either  from  General  Scott  or  General  At- 


CONCLUSION.  271 

kinson,  for  him  to  follow  up  Black  Hawk  to  the  last.  The  quiet 
ness  of  the  regular  colonel  mean  while  had  rather  encouraged  the 
mutinous  militia  to  bring  their  proceedings  to  a  head.  A  sort  of 
town  meeting  was  called  upon  the  prairie,  and  Taylor  invited  to 
attend.  After  listening  for  some  time  very  quietly  to  the  proceed 
ings,  it  became  Rough  and  Ready's  turn  to  address  the  chair.  "  He 
had  heard,"  he  said,  "  with  much  pleasure  the  views  which  several 
speakers  had  expressed  of  the  independence  and  dignity  of  each 
private  American  citizen.  He  felt  that  all  gentlemen  there  present 
were  his  equals — in  reality,  he  was  persuaded  that  many  of  them 
would  in  a  few  years  be  his  superiors,  and  perhaps,  in  the  capa 
city  of  members  of  Congress,  arbiters  of  the  fortune  and  reputation 
of  humble  servants  of  the  republic  like  himself.  He  expected 
then  to  obey  them  as  interpreters  of  the  will  of  the  people  ;  and 
the  best  proof  he  could  give  that  he  would  obey  them,  was  now  to 
observe  the  orders  of  those  whom  the  people  had  already  put  in 
the  places  of  authority,  to  which  many  gentlemen  around  him  justly 
aspired.  In  plain  English,  gentlemen  and  fellow-citizens,  the  word 
has  been  passed  on  to  me  from  Washington  to  follow  Black  Hawk, 
and  to  take  you  with  me  as  soldiers.  I  mean  to  do  both.  There 
are  the  flat-boats  drawn  up  on  the  shore,  and  here  are  Uncle  Sam's 
men  drawn  up  behind  you  on  the  prairie." 

**  Stra-anger,"  added  the  man  who  told  the  story,  *'  the  way 
those  militia-men  sloped  into  those  flat-boats  was  a  caution.  Not 
another  word  was  said.  Had  Zach  Taylor  been  with  Van  Rensse- 
laer  at  Niagara  river,  in  the  last  war,  I  rayther  think  he'd  a  taught 
him  how  to  get  militia-men  over  a  ferry." 

Taylor,  as  is  well  known,  did  follow  Black  Hawk  through  the 
prairies  of  northern  Illinois,  through  the  wooded  gorges,  the  rocky 
fells,  the  plashy  rice  pools,  the  hitherto  unbroken  wilderness  of 
western  Wisconsin.  The  militia-men  gave  out  from  day  to  day  ; 
the  country  became  impassable  to  horses,  and  the  volunteer  settlers 
who  had  first  seized  arms  merely  to  repel  an  Indian  foray,  refused 
to  submit  their  backs  to  the  necessary  burdens  in  carrying  their  own 
supplies  through  the  deep  swamps  and  almost  impervious  forests. 
At  last  the  very  Indians  themselves,  whom  Taylor  thus  despe 
rately  pursued  from  day  to  day,  and  week  to  week,  began  to  sink 


272  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

from  fatigue  and  exhaustion :  they  were  found  by  our  men  stretched 
beside  their  trails,  while  yet  the  good  Anglo-Norman  blood  of  Tay 
lor's  band  held  out  amid  sufferings,  in  the  wilderness,  which  the 
child  of  the  forest  himself  could  not  endure.  The  battle  of  the 
Bad-Axe,  and  the  rout  of  Black  Hawk,  by  Taylor,  at  length  termi 
nated  this  arduous  march. 

The  steamer  hearing  Atkinson  and  his  reinforcements,  reached 
the  junction  of  the  Bad- Axe  and  the  Mississippi,  just  as  the  en 
counter  was  over,  and  we  believe  brought  Taylor  along  with  his 
prisoners,  back  to  Fort  Crawford,  where,  after  landing  the  former, 
she  passed  on  to  St.  Louis.  When  we  remember  the  complimen 
tary  reception  which  Black  Hawk  met  with  all  along  our  Atlantic 
border,  how  strange  it  seems,  that  when  the  name  of  his  captor  was 
mentioned  as  the  hero  of  Okeechobee,  his  countrymen  asked, 
"  Who  is  this  Colonel  Taylor  that  has  just  been  brevetted  a  briga 
dier  ?"  Even  as  it  was  afterwards  asked  concerning  the  hero  of  Rio 
Bravo,  "  Who  is  this  Brigadier  Taylor,  who  has  so  brilliantly  earned 
the  brevet  of  major-general  ?"  One  might  now,  without  extrava 
gance,  venture  to  predict  that  the  captor  of  Black  Hawk  is  as  well 
known  as  was  that  warrior  himself;  and  that  he  would  probably 
be  received  by  the  people  in  a  progress  throughout  the  country, 
with  demonstrations  of  affection  and  respect,  at  least  equal  to  those 
which  were  showered  upon  the  wily  Sauk  chief,  the  but  too  suc 
cessful  rival  of  the  chivalrous,  and  loyal,  and  neglected  Keokuk." 

The  following  sketch  of  General  Taylor's  domestic  life  and 
habits,  is  from  the  pen  of  a  lady,  who  has  often  been  a  visiter  in 
his  family  : 

"  Early  in  life  General  Taylor  purchased  cotton  land  at  Bayou 
Sara,  and  under  the  care  of  a  good  overseer,  it  yielded  him  a  large 
income.  After  the  Florida  war  he  made  rather  an  unfortunate  pur 
chase  of  a  large  plantation,  with  three  hundred  slaves,  for  which  he 
paid  $95,000  cash.  Since  owned  by  the  General  it  has  been  twice 
submerged,  and  subjected  him  to  heavy  losses  of  crops,  necessary 
repairs,  &c.  In  domestic  life  General  Taylor  is  particularly  blessed 
by  the  simple  and  unaffected  habits  of  his  wife,  happily  so  conge 
nial  to  his  own.  At  all  army  posts  where  I  have  seen  him,  the 
pursuits  of  the  farmer  were  united  with  those  of  the  military  command- 


CONCLUSION.  273 

ant.  At  a  visit  to  his  house  whilst  commanding  the  first  infantry, 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  Honorable  Charles  Murray  was  also  there, 
and  the  presence  of  the  chamberlain  of  Queen  Victoria  made  no 
change  in  the  regular  habits  of  the  General.  We  breakfasted  a 
little  after  sunrise,  dined  at  one,  without  silver  forks,  and  relished 
the  good  substantial  fare,  served  with  scrupulous  neatness,  by  faith 
ful  and  attached  servants.  The  bacon  on  the  General's  table  must 
always  be  mounted  on  the  stack  of  greeno,  according  to  the  old 
Virginia  custom.  General  Taylor  is  simple  in  his  diet,  and  an 
exceedingly  temperate  man.  For  many  years  he  kept  no  liquor  of 
any  kind  in  his  house;  but  on  the  visit  named,  which  is  the  last  I 
have  made,  wine,  brandy,  &c.,  were  on  the  table.  His  personal 
appearance  is  by  no  means  military  ;  inclining  to  corpulency,  the 
trappings  of  his  uniform  are  irksome  and  uncomfortable  to  him. 
His  head  is  well  formed,  and  was  once  well  covered  by  rich 
black  hair  ;  his  eye  is  penetrating  and  bold ;  his  nose  well  shaped  ; 
his  mouth  not  badly  shaped,  but  spoiled  by  the  marked  projection 
of  the  lower  lip ;  his  laugh  is  hearty  and  cheerful,  displaying  a  fine 
white  set  of  teeth.  Such  was  his  appearance  about  six  years  since, 
when  on  a  visit  to  Philadelphia  with  Mrs.  Taylor  to  see  "  Betty," 
and  with  her,  my  husband,  and  myself,  to  make  the  northern  tour, 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life.  This  was  after  the  close  of  the  Flo 
rida  war.  General  Taylor's  mind  is  strong,  well  read  in  history, 
and  blessed  with  an  excellent  memory.  He  is  agreeable  in  conver 
sation,  but  unfortunately  when  much  excited  by  his  subject,  stam 
mers  or  hesitates  for  words  to  express  his  meaning  with  sufficient 
strength.  He  is  an  economist  by  nature  and  habit,  cares  nothing 
for  show  in  his  hon.se  or  dress,  and  never  yet  owned  a  carri  ig<:  of 
any  description.  Honest,  just,  and  true  to  his  friends.  He  is  no 
politic  an,  but  is  devoted  heart  and  so  il  to  HENRY  CLAY." 


APPENDIX. 


KITING  to  a  Philadelphia  paper,  a 
correspondent  thus  describes  General 
Taylor  : 

"  The  General  is  not  over  five  feet 
seven  or  eight  inches  high,  is  stout,  and 
inclines  to  corpulency,  would  weigh,  I 
should  think,  near  two  hundred  pounds, 
and  the  most  prominent  thing  about  him 
is  an  unusual  shortness  of  legs.  —  When 
he  is  sitting  he  looks  like  a  tall  man  —  not  so  when  standing.  His 
face  is  intelligent,  and  it  is  usually  lit  up  with  a  benevolent  smile. 
He  is  in  the  habit  of  eclipsing  his  left  eye.  His  hair  is  gray  and 
grizzly.  In  one  word,  gentlemen,  if  you  can  imagine  a  plain,  old 
Pennsylvania  farmer,  who  had  a  farm  paid  for  worth  five  thousand 
dollars,  and  nothing  else  in  the  world  —  an  independent,  jovial,  don't 
care-a-fig  kind  of  an  old  coon  —  you  have  'old  Zack'  before  you." 

277 


278  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

A  writer  to  the  New  Orleans  Tropic,  is  still  more  summary. 
"  A  very  thick  set,  farmer-looking  old  gentleman,  in  a  linen  rounda 
bout,  and  remarkable  for  short  legs  and  long  body,  mounted  on  a 
snow  white  charger."  This  is  almost  as  sententious  as  Sallust. 


Although  the  General  was  born  in  Virginia,  his  time  of  residing 
in  that  state  was  very  limited.  Fora  long  while  he  lived  in  Kentucky, 
and  previous  lo  the  present  war  he  removed  to  a  country-seat  on  the 
Mississippi,  near  Baton  Rouge,  where  his  family  still  reside.  The 
Gazette  of  that  place  thus  describes  the  situation : 

"  It  may  not  be  generally  known  abroad  that  the  residence  of 
General  Taylor's  family,  is  in  the  handsome  cottage-like  building, 
romantically  situated  on  the  fine  bluff  fronting  the  river,  and  the  first 
building  which  meets  the  eye  to  the  left  upon  entering  the  beautifully 
shaded  avenue  leading  from  Lafayette  street  to  the  barracks.  While 
other  places  at  a  distance  are  contending  for  the  honor  of  having 
given  birth  to  old  '  Rough  and  Ready,'  we  can  claim  the-  honor  of 
numbering  his  respected  family  among  our  residents." 


Of  all  General  Taylor's  good  qualities  none  are  more  conspicuous 
than  the  tenderness  of  heart,  which  he  has  ever  exhibited  toward 
the  soldiers  under  his  command,  as  well  as  to  the  enemy.  Like 
Washington,  he  is  engaged  in  war  only  from  stern  necessity,  not 
from  love  of  the  dear  bought  honors  of  military  glory.  Even  the 
slight  incident  of  stopping  his  columns  at  Palo  Alto,  in  order  that  the 
men  might  obtain  water,  is  refreshing ;  and  the  following  anecdote  is 
of  the  same  nature.  "  The  first  care  of  General  Taylor  was  to  visit 
the  wounded,  and  see  that  every  comfort  was  supplied,  the  constant 
and  well  directed  energies  of  the  medical  department  left  him  but 
little  to  do ;  every  one,  whether  officer  or  soldier,  had  been  attended 
with  unwearied  cnro  and  watchfulness  " 


APPENDIX.  279 

®t5e    Council   at   Veto    ®lto. 

"  The  troops  having  partaken  of  their  meal,  the  order  was  given 
to  get  the  command  under  arms.  General  Taylor  here  summoned 
a  council  of  war,  composed  of  the  heads  of  the  different  commands, 
in  all  thirteen,  excluding  the  commander-in-chief.  The  General,  after 
returning  thanks  for  their  support  and  bravery  on  the  8th,  and  wish 
ing  to  be  advised  as  to  what  they  thought  best  to  be  done,  called  on 
each  to  give  his  opinion.  It  was  then  ascertained  that  but  four 
were  in  favor  of  going  ahead,  the  other  officers  composing  the 
council  voted,  some  to  intrench  where  they  were  and  await  the 
assistance  of  the  volunteers,  and  othars  to  retire  at  once  to  Point 
Isabel ;  but  the  general  said,  '/  will  be  at  Fort  Brown  before  night 
if  I  live: 

Those  who  voted  for  going  ahead,  as  they  watched  the  counte 
nance  of  the  General,  might  have  seen  the  smile  of  approbation  that 
lighted  up  the  old  man's  honest  face  at  the  moment,  though  he 
bowed  with  respect  to  the  opinions  of  those  who  differed  from  him  ; 
and  in  saying  engrave  on  the  sacred  banner  of  the  stars  and  stripes 
the  names  of  Taylor,  Mclntosh,  Morris,  Scott  and  Duncan,  I 
mean  no  reflection  upon  those  who  voted  against  them — they  were 
men  tried  in  many  a  field  before,  and  their  deeds  on  that  day  proved 
them  equal  to  the  best. 

Lieutenant  Ridgely,  who  was  entitled  to  a  vote  in  the  council,  was 
at  the  time  in  attendance  on  the  lamented  Ringgold,  and  therefore 
had  no  voice  in  the  matter,  but  as  he  galloped  up  to  the  battery,  on 
returning  from  his  visit  to  the  major,  some  one  said,  *  Ridgely,  were 
you  at  the  council  ?'  and  he  replied  '  no,  I  did  not  know  that  one  had 
been  called,  but  I  hope  old  Zack  will  go  ahead  and  bring  the  matter 
to  close  quarters.' " 

We  have  given  the  address  of  the  General  to  the  volunteers,  who 
were  about  to  leave  him  for  a  different  scene  of  the  war.  That 
parting  was  an  affecting  one;  but  the  removal  of  the  gallant 
fellows  who  had  endeared  themselves  to  him,  amid  the  dangers  of 
Buena  Vista,  was  still  more  so.  As  the  Mississippi  regiment 
marched  by  him,  on  its  return  home,  he  attempted  to  address  them ; 
but  the  recollection  of  their  heroism,  and  the  respect  and  affection 


280  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

which  they  were  now  anxious  to  pour  upon  him  for  the  last  time, 
overpowered  him,  and  with  tears  gushing  down  his  aged  cheeks  he 
exclaimed  : — "  Go  on,  boys — go  on — /  can't  speak." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  while  Taylor  was  marching  against 
Santa  Anna,  most  of  his  troops  were  withdrawn  from  him  by  Gen 
eral  Scotland  he  was  compelled  to  fall  back  toward  Monterey.  We 
have  given  but  the  bare  fact  in  the  narrative ;  but  it  requires  little 
imagination  to  conceive  that  the  feelings  of  an  ordinary  military  man 
under  such  circumstances,  would  be  of  the  most  harassing  kind.  Not 
so  with  General  Taylor.  Great  in  difficulty  as  in  danger,  and  desti 
tute  of  that  little  ambition  which  would  sacrifice  even  personal  com 
fort  to  the  desire  of  popularity,  he  showed  himself  as  willing  to  obey, 
as  he  had  formerly  been  able  to  command.  He  yielded  the  price  of 
glory  and  advantage,  to  his  brother  officer,  without  a  murmur,  anJ 
quietly  retired  to  the  scene  of  his  former  glories.  The  lesson  he 
thus  gave  to  the  world  might  be  profitably  learned  by  many  of  his 
contemporaries,  far  below  him  in  rank  and  usefulness. 


©ttura!  ®a30ic  at 


T.  F.  Marshall,  who  conveyed  General  Scott's  requisition  to 
Taylor,  made  the  following  excellent  remarks  in  a  late  speech  at 
New  Orleans. 

"  General  Taylor  fought  and  won  the  battle  of  Monterey.  He  ad 
vanced  upon  Saltillo,  and  preparatory  to  a  descent  upon  San  Luis 
Potosi  and  ultimately  upon  the  city  of  Mexico  itself.  He  had  marched 
to  Victoria,  to  discover  if  there  was  any  other  pass  in  the  mountains 
but  that  of  the  Rinconada,  through  which  he  could  advance  and  avoid 
the  waterless  desert  beyond  Buena  Vista,  or  through  which  the  ene 
my  might  enter  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  fall  upon  his  rear. 
Whilst  this  reconnoissance  was  being  made,  he  (Mr.  Marshall)  was 
ordered  to  proceed  to  General  Taylor's  camp  with  despatches. 
These  were  the  despatches  which  announced  to  General  Taylor  that 
the  flower  of  his  army  was  to  be  taken  from  him,  to  operate  on  a 
new  base,  and  ordered  him  merely  to  stand  on  the  defensive. 

Mr.  Marshall  said,  great  an  opinion  as  he  had  formed  of  General 


APPENDIX.  281 

Taylor  before  he  met  him  at  Victoria,  he  was  totally  unprepared  for 
the  loftiness  of  character  displayed  by  him  on  receiving  those  des 
patches.  He,  upon  whose  crest  victory  had  perched,  the  lion  who 
was  preparing  for  another  spring  upon  the  foe,  saw  without  a  mur 
mur  that  his  claws  were  to  be  torn  from  him,  that  he  was  to  be 
enfeebled  to  the  defensive,  and  never  did  he  conceive  that  a  great 
soldier,  fresh  from  the  field  of  victories,  could  submit  in  the  simple, 
uncomplaining  manner  General  Taylor  did  to  orders  depriving  him 
of  his  right  arm. 

The  best  of  his  troops  were  withdrawn  from  him.  With  such  as 
were  left  under  his  immediate  command  he  retraced  his  steps  to 
Monterey,  and  shortly  after  joined  General  Wool  at  Saltillo.  Dupli 
cates  of  the  despatches  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and, 
acquainted  with  the  weakness  of  General  Taylor's  force,  he  soon 
made  demonstrations  indicating  an  intention  to  advance  and  give  him 
battle.  It  was  now,  Mr.  Marshall  said,  General  Taylor  displayed 
those  qualities  which  proclaim  him  the  greatest  military  chieftain  of 
the  age. 

It  was  known  that  the  enemy  was  overwhelmingly  superior  in 
numbers  and  commanded  by  their  most  skilful  general,  and  military 
critics  declared  the  only  course  to  pursue  was  to  fall  back  upon  Mon 
terey.  General  Taylor,  with  a  perception  of  all  the  consequences 
of  such  a  step,  thought  and  acted  otherwise.  Fronting  him  was  an 
enemy  twenty  thousand  strong ;  in  his  rear  was  Urrea  with  three 
thousand  cavalry  ;  his  line  of  communication  ran  through  a  country 
containing  half  a  million  of  population,  waiting  but  the  appearance  of 
success  on  their  side  to  take  up  arms,  and  knowing  that  even  to  re 
treat  upon  Monterey  would  be  claimed  as  a  victory ;  that  then  he 
would  be  beleaguered  by  an  army  of  twenty-five  thousand  men,  and 
that  his  whole  line  would  be  cut  up,  he  determined  not  to  give  an  inch, 
but  to  stake  all  upon  a  battle,  in  which  every  tiling  was  to  be  gained 
by  victory,  and  disaster  could  not  have  been  increased  by  defeat. 
The  result  is  known.  The  courage  of  General  Taylor,  said  Mr. 
Marshall,  no  one  disputed,  but  some  denied  him  great  mental  powers  ; 
he,  Mr.  M.,  pretended  to  some  capacity  in  judging  of  men's  qua 
lities,  and  if  he  ever  saw  genius,  military  genius  of  the  highest 
order,  he  saw  it  in  General  Taylor.  It  may  be  that  God,  in  great 

35 


282  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

emergencies,  had  inspired  him  with  those  thoughts  which  rendered 
him  invincible  ;  but,  said  Mr.  M.,  the  result  is  the  same — there  is  no 
difference.  To  the  great  soldier,  Mr.  M.  said,  in  his  intercourse 
with  General  Taylor,  he  found  was  added  the  man  of  strict  honor, 
and  either  as  a  man  or  as  his  commander,  he  loved  him." 

The  following  incidents  illustrate  the  quiet  coolness  of  the  General, 
which  never  entirely  deserts  him,  even  amid  the  uproar  of  a  battle 
field. 

His  abrupt  close  of  the  conference  with  Ampudia,  when  treating 
for  the  surrender  of  Monterey,  is  as  full  of  meaning  as  anything  in 
Wellington's  despatches — "  Sir,  I  hold  you,  and  your  town,  and  your 
army,  in  the  hollow  of  my  hand,  and  you  know  it.  The  conference 
is  closed — in  thirty  minutes  you  shall  hear  from  my  batteries." 

Of  course  General  Taylor  would  not  have  said  this  to  a  gallant 
and  respected  enemy.  He  would  have  spoken  in  a  very  different 
vein  to  a  brave  and  gallant  general,  who  had  maintained  his  position 
as  long  as  it  could  be  maintained,  and  now,  having  satisfied  the  de 
mands  of  honor  and  duty  to  their  full  extent,  was  ready  with  the 
frankness  of  a  soldier  and  a  gentleman,  to  accept  the  necessity  of  his 
position.  But  to  Ampudia,  neither  brave  nor  gallant,  and  whiffling 
over  a  capitulation  which  he  knew  to  be  inevitable,  the  response  was 
as  fitting  as  it  was  well  timed  and  effective. 

There  was,  on  the  other  hand,  a  delicious  touch  of  humor  in  the 
old  General's  acknowledgment  to  the  "  boys"  who  laughed  at  him  for 
dodging.  In  the  thick  of  the  fight  at  Buena  Vista,  when  the  balls 
were  flying  "considerable,"  General  Taylor  saw  some  of  his  men 
ducking  their  heads  as  the  missiles  whizzed  by,  and  called  out,  "  No 
dodging  gentlemen  ;  soldiers  never  dodge."  But  in  a  few  moments 
a  twenty-four  pounder  came  humming  so  near  the  old  gentleman's 
nose  that  he  involuntarily  ducked  his  own  head — whereat  some  of 
the  "  boys"  "  snickered  right  out."  "  Dodge  the  balls,  gentlemen," 
exclaimed  old  Zack,  as  grave  as  a  mustard  pot ;  •*  dodge  the  balls, 
gentlemen,  but  don't  run." 

In  the  same  style  was  his  quiet  remark  at  Resaca  de  la  Pal  ma, 
where  the  balls  made  lively  music  too.  One  of  them  cut  off"  a  piece 
of  his  coat-tail ;  whereupon  he  drily  remarked  to  one  who  was  near 
him, "  These  balls  are  getting  excited." 


APPENDIX.  283 

But  the  best  tiling  lie  is  said  to  have  said  was  also  at  Buena  Vista. 
It  was  not  only  quaint  but  grand  ;  there  was  a  sort  of  heroic  largeness 
about  it,  in  conception  and  expression,  than  which  we  know  of 
nothing  that  more  fills  the  mind's  eye.  It  was  when  the  last, 
desperate,  almost  overwhelming  charge  was  made  upon  Captain 
Bragg' s  battery.  The  captain  saw  the  mighty  cohort  coming,  with 
an  anxious  gaze,  for  their  was  no  infantry  at  hand  to  sustain  him. 
Placing  his  pieces  in  position,  he  hurried  to  the  General,  who  was 
not  far  off,  to  represent  that  his  little  band  would  be  ridden  over,  and 
to  beg  for  a  reinforcement.  "  I  have  no  reinforcement  to  give  you," 
answered  the  General,  "  but  Major  Bliss  and  I  will  support  you." 

44  Major  Bliss  and  I"  accordingly  put  spurs  to  their  horses  and 
took  post  beside  the  cannon.  We  all  know  what  the  result  was. 

In  the  speech  delivered  by  Colonel  Jefferson  Davis,  in  New  Or 
leans,  on  the  occasion  of  the  reception  there  of  the  volunteers  from 
General  Taylor's  camp,  he  said  that  General  Taylor  had  shown 
himself  the  distinguished  soldier  of  the  age,  yet  he  was  equally 
remarkable  for  his  kindness  of  heart  and  simplicity  of  habits,  his 
strong  judgment  and  excellent  sense.  He  alluded  to  the  fact  that 
General  Taylor  had  shared  the  humblest  soldier's  fortune  in  the 
campaign ;  that  he  had  in  every  thing  identified  himself  with  his 
troops.  He  alluded  to  that  hour  of  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista, 
when  the  day  seemed,  if  not  lost,  to  be  going  against  our  arms — 
when  General  Taylor,  amid  the  thickest  of  the  iron  hail,  rode  upon 
the  plateau,  and  calmly  surveyed  the  scene.  Vast  as  were  the 
consequences  of  that  hour,  he  appeared  to  fear  no  danger,  expect  no 
harm.  From  that  moment  (said  Colonel  Davis)  the  volunteers 
felt  assured  of  victory.  The  presence  of  that  old  man  inspired  a 
courage  that  could  not  be  overcome,  and  not  a  soldier  present,  said 
he,  (pointing  to  the  regiment  before  him,)  but  felt  then  willing  to 
die  rather  than  yield  an  inch. 

It  was  not,  (continued  Colonel  Davis,)  alone  on  the  battle  field 
that  we  learned  to  love  General  Taylor.  The  excitement  of  the 
carnage  over,  the  same  soul  that  could  remain  unmoved  when  his 
friends  were  falling  like  leaves  around  him,  who  could  look  un- 
blanched  upon  the  front  of  the  thundering  artillery,  become  the  poor 


284         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

soldier's  most  sympathizing  friend,  and  the  eye  so  stern  in  battle 
was  as  mild  as  the  tender  hearted  matron's. 


This  animal  has  acquired  almost  as  much  celebrity  as  his  mas 
ter,  and  several  good  anecdotes  are  told  of  him.  He  is  known  as 
"  Old  Whitey,"  (the  Christian  name  being  the  same  as  that  of 
*'  Rough  and  Ready,")  and  is  a  general  favorite  among  the  soldiers. 
The  following  ludicrous  incident  connected  with  the  white  dignitary 
deserves  insertion. 

General  Taylor's  markee,  at  Victoria,  was  about  a  mile  above 
that  of  General  Patterson,  and  between  the  two  the  Tennessee 
cavalry  was  encamped.  General  Taylor  was  riding  from  his  quar 
ters  to  General  Patterson's  one  day,  and  on  his  route  passed  close 
to  a  Tennessee  trooper,  who  was  rubbing  down  his  horse.  Totally 
ignorant  of  the  rank  of  the  plainly  dressed  old  man,  and  struck  by 
the  beauty  of  his  animal,  he  accosted  him  with,  "  Look  here,  stranger, 
wouldn't  you  like  to  swap  that  ar  pony  ?" 

"  No,  friend,"  quietly  responded  the  General ;  "  he  is  a  favorite 
nag  of  mine,  and  I  do  not  desire  to  part  with  him." 

A  comrade  of  the  trooper's  recognizing  the  General,  said  to  him 
in  an  under  tone,  "  Bill,  you  fool,  don't  you  know  who  you're  a 
talking  to  ?  That's  Gineral  Taylor." 

Now  Bill  regarding  "  Rough  and  Ready"  as  the  greatest  man  on 
the  face  of  earth,  was  terrified  that  he  had  put  his  foot  on  it,  and 
stammered  out — 

"  G-g-gineral,  I-I-I  didn't  know  it  was  you — I  beg  p-p-pardon, 
g-g-gineral."  The  old  commander  kindly  offered  his  hand  to  the 
trooper,  to  relieve  him  from  his  embarrassment,  inquired  his  name 
and  residence,  complimented  the  Tennesseeans,  telling  him  that  he 
had  found  them  the  bravest  of  the  brave,  and  rode  quietly  on. 

On  the  march  of  General  Taylor's  division  from  Monterey  to  Vic 
toria,  when  encamped  near  a  small  town,  this  same  pony  was  stolen, 
and  the  General  immediately  despatched  a  message  to  the  alcade, 


APPENDIX.  285 

informing  that  worthy  functionary  of  the  fact,  and  that  if  he  was 
not  restored  he  should  take  the  priest's  horse.  The  threat  had 
the  desired  effect,  for  in  a  very  short  space  of  time  the  pony  was 
trotted  up  to  the  General's  tent  "  With  the  compliments  of  the 
alcade." 


The  following  are  extracts  of  a  letter,  ascribed  to  General  Tay 
lor,  giving  his  reasons  for  the  leniency  of  the  terms  at  Monterey. 
The  authenticity  of  the  letter  has  been  doubted  by  some ;  but  the 
correctness  of  the  views  which  it  presents,  and  the  probability  of 
its  genuineness,  seem  to  justify  its  insertion. 

"  I  do  not  believe  the  authorities  at  Washington  are  at  all  satis 
fied  with  my  conduct  in  regard  to  the  terms  of  the  capitulation 
entered  into  with  the  Mexican  commander,  which  you  no  doubt 
have  seen,  as  they  have  been  made  public  through  the  official 
organ,  and  copied  into  various  other  newspapers. 

•*  I  have  this  moment  received  an  answer  (to  my  despatches  an 
nouncing  the  surrender  of  Monterey,  and  the  circumstances  attend 
ing  the  same,)  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  stating  that  *  it  was 
regretted  by  the  President  that  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  insist 
on  the  terms  I  had  proposed  in  my  first  communication  to  the 
Mexican  commander,  in  regard  to  giving  up  the  city' — adding  that 
4  the  circumstances  which  dictated,  no  doubt  justified  the  change.' 
Although  the  terms  of  capitulation  may  be  considered  too  liberal 
on  our  part,  by  the  President  and  his  advisers,  as  well  as  by  many 
others  at  a  distance,  particularly  by  those  who  do  not  understand 
the  position  we  occupied,  (otherwise  they  might  come  to  a  different 
conclusion  in  regard  to  the  matter,)  yet,  on  due  reflection,  I  see 
nothing  to  induce  me  to  regret  the  course  I  pursued.  The  propo 
sition  on  the  part  of  General  Ampudia,  which  had  much  to  do  in 
determining  my  course  in  the  matter,  was  based  on  the  ground  that 
our  government  had  proposed  to  his  to  settle  the  existing  difficul 
ties  by  negotiation,  (which  I  knew  was  the  case,  without  knowing 
the  result,)  which  was  then  under  consideration  by  the  proper  au 
thorities,  and  which  he  (General  Ampudia,)  had  no  doubt  would 
result  favorably,  as  the  whole  of  his  people  were  in  favor  of  peace. 


286  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

If  so,  I  considered  the  further  effusion  of  blood  not  only  unneces 
sary,  but  improper. 

"  Their  force  was  also  considerably  larger  than  ours  ;  and  from 
the  size  and  position  of  the  place,  we  could  not  completely  invest 
it ;  so  that  the  greater  portion  of  their  troops,  if  not  the  whole,  had 
they  been  disposed  to  do  so,  could,  any  night,  have  abandoned  the 
city,  at  once  entered  the  mountain  passes  and  effected  their  retrent, 
do  what  we  could !  Had  we  been  put  to  the  alternative  of  taking 
the  place  by  storm,  (which  there  is  no  doubt  we  should  have  suc 
ceeded  in  doing,)  we  should,  in  all  probability,  have  lost  fifty  or  one 
hundred  men  in  killed,  besides  the  wounded,  which  I  wished  to 
avoid,  as  there  appeared  to  be  a  prospect  of  peace,  even  if  a  distant 
one.  I  also  wished  to  avoid  the  destruction  of  women  and  children, 
which  must  have  been  very  great,  had  the  storming  process  been 
resorted  to.  Besides,  they  had  a  very  large  and  strong  fortification 
a  short  distance  from  the  city,  which,  if  carried  with  the  bayonet, 
must  have  been  taken  at  great  sacrifice  of  life  ;  and  with  our  limited 
train  of  heavy  or  battering  artillery  it  would  have  required  twenty 
or  twenty-five  days  to  take  it  by  regular  approaches. 

"  That  they  should  have  surrendered  a  place  nearly  as  strong  as 
Quebec,  well  fortified,  under  the  direction  of  skilful  engineers,  their 
works  garnished  with  forty-two  pieces  of  artillery,  abundantly  sup 
plied  with  ammunition,  garrisoned  by  seven  thousand  regular  and 
two  thousand  irregular  troops,  in  addition  to  some  thousand  citizens, 
capable  of  (and  no  doubt  actually)  bearing  arms,  and  aiding  in  its 
defence,  to  an  opposing  force  of  half  their  number,  scantily  sup 
plied  with  provisions,  and  with  a  light  train  of  artillery,  is  among 
the  unaccountable  occurrences  of  the  times. 

"  I  am  decidedly  opposed  to  carrying  the  war  beyond  Saltillo  in 
this  direction,  which  place  has  been  entirely  abandoned  by  the  Mex 
ican  forces,  all  of  whom  have  been  concentrated  at  San  Luis  Potosi ; 
and  I  shall  lose  no  time  in  taking  possession  of  the  former,  as  soon 
as  the  cessation  of  hostilities  referred  to  expires — which  I  have 
notified  the  Mexican  authorities  will  be  the  case  on  the  13th  instant, 
by  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

"  If  we  are  (in  the  language  of  Mr.  Polk  and  General  Scott) 
under  the  necessity  of  *  conquering  a  peace/ — and  that  by  taking 


APPENDIX.  287 

the  capital  of  the  country, — we  must  go  to  Vera  Cruz,  take  that 
place,  and  then  march  on  the  city  of  Mexico.  To  do  so  in  any 
other  direction,  I  consider  out  of  the  question.  But,  admitting  that 
we  conquer  a  peace  by  doing  so, — say,  at  the  end  of  the  next  twelve 
months — will  the  amount  of  blood  and  treasure,  which  must  be  ex 
pended  in  doing  so,  be  compensated  by  the  same  ?  I  think  not, — 
especially,  if  the  country  we  subdue  is  to  be  given  up  :  and  I  ima 
gine  there  are  but  few  individuals  in  our  country  who  think  of  an 
nexing  Mexico  to  the  United  States. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  carry  on  my  operations  (as  previously  stated) 
beyond  Saltillo, — deeming  it  next  to  impracticable  to  do  so.  It  then 
becomes  a  question  as  to  what  is  best  to  be  done.  It  seems  to  me, 
the  most  judicious  course  to  be  pursued  on  our  part,  would  be  to 
take  possession,  at  once,  of  the  line  we  would  accept  by  negotia 
tion,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Pacific,  and  occupy 
the  same,  or  keep  what  we  already  have  possession  of ;  and  that, 
with  Tampico,  (which  I  hope  to  take  in  the  course  of  the  next 
month,  or  as  soon  as  I  can  get  the  means  of  transportation,)  will 
give  us  all  on  this  side  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  as  soon  as  I  occupy 
Saltillo,  will  include  six  or  seven  states  or  provinces,  thus  holding 
Tampico,  Victoria,  Monterey,  Saltillo,  Monclova,  Chihuahua,  (which 
I  presume  General  Wool  has  possession  of  by  this  time,)  Santa  Fe, 
and  the  Californias,  and  say  to  Mexico,  *  Drive  us  from  the  country  !' 
throwing  on  her  the  responsibility  and  expense  of  carrying  on  of 
fensive  war — at  the  same  time  closely  blockading  all  her  ports  on 
the  Pacific  and  the  Gulf.  A  course  of  this  kind,  if  persevered  in 
for  a  short  time,  would  soon  bring  her  to  her  proper  senses,  and 
compel  her  to  sue  for  peace, — provided  there  is  a  government  in  the 
country  sufficiently  stable  for  us  to  treat  with,  which,  I  fear,  will 
hardly  be  the  case  for  many  years  to  come.  Without  large  rein 
forcements  of  volunteers  from  the  United  States,  say  ten  or  fifteen 
thousand,  (those  previously  sent  out  having  already  been  greatly 
reduced  by  sickness  and  other  casualties,)  I  do  not  believe  it  would 
be  advisable  to  march  beyond  Saltillo,  which  is  more  than  two 
hundred  miles  beyond  our  depots  on  the  Rio  Grande,  a  very 
long  line  on  which  to  keep  up  supplies  (over  a  land  route,  in  a 
country  like  this)  for  a  large  force,  and  certain  to  be  attended  with 


288  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

an  expense  which  will  be  frightful  to  contemplate  when  closely 
looked  into. 

"  From  Saltillo  to  San  Luis  Potosi,  the  next  place  of  importance 
on  the  road  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  is  three  hundred  miles, — one 
hundred  and  thirty  badly  watered,  where  no  supplies  of  any  kind 
could  be  procured  for  men  or  horses.  I  have  informed  the  War  De 
partment  that  twenty  thousand  efficient  men  would  be  necessary  to 
insure  success,  if  we  march  on  that  place, — (a  city  containing  a 
population  of  sixty  thousand,  where  the  enemy  could  bring  together 
and  sustain,  besides  the  citizens,  an  army  of  fifty  thousand,)  a  force 
which,  I  apprehend,  will  hardly  be  collected  by  us  with  the  train 
necessary  to  feed  it,  as  well  as  to  transport  various  other  supplies, 
particularly  ordnance  and  munitions  of  war." 


The  stirring  events  of  Buena  Vista  have  been  made  the  subjects 
of  a  fine  poem,  by  Captain  Albert  Pike,  who  shared  the  dangers 
of  the  battle,  and  is  therefore  peculiarly  fitted  to  describe  it.  The 
poem  was  written  for  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Courier,  "  And  we 
have  met  with  no  poetry,"  says  that  sheet,  "  since  the  commence 
ment  of  the  war  in  Mexico,  that  has  so  stirred  our  blood  as  this 
splendid  poem.  It  should  grace  a  prominent  page  in  the  volume 
that  conveys  to  posterity  in  homely  prose,  the  thrilling  scenes  and 
events  which  it  celebrates.  Our  friend  dates  his  letter,  '  Camp 
Buena  Vista,  Mexico,  March  12th,  1847.'  " 

Bnena    Vista. 

From  Rio  Grande's  waters  to  the  icy  capes  of  Maine 

Let  all  exult,  for  we  have  met  the  enemy  again ; 

Beneath  their  stern  old  mountains,  we  have  met  them  in  their  pride, 

And  roll'd  from  Buena  Vista  back  the  battle's  bloody  tide  ; 

When  the  enemy  came  surging,  like  the  Mississippi's  flood, 

And  the  reaper,  Death,  was  busy  with  his  sickle  red  with  blood, 

Sant  Anna  boasted  loudly  that  before  two  hours  were  past, 
HIM  lancers  through  Saltillo  should  pursue  us  thick  and  fail; 


APPENDIX.  289 

On  came  his  solid  infantry,  line  marching  after  line  ; 
Lo  !  their  great  standards  in  the  sun  like  sheets  of  silver  shine ! 
With  thousands  after  thousands,  yea,  with  more  than  ten  to  one, 
A  forest  of  bright  bayonets  gleam  fiercely  in  the  sun. 

Lo  !  Guanajuato's  Regiment !  Lo!  Pucbla's  boasted  corps ! 
And  Guadalajara's  chosen  troops,  all  veterans  tried  before, 
And  galloping  upon  the  sight,  four  thousand  lances  gleam, 
Where  waving  in  the  morning  light,  their  blood-red  pinions  stream. 
And  there  their  stern  artillery  climbs  up  the  broad  plateau, 
To-day  they  mean  to  strike  at  us  an  overwhelming  blow. 

Now,  hold  on  strongly  to  the  heights,  for  lo !  the  mighty  tide 
Comes  thundering  like  an  avalanche,  deep,  terrible  and  wide : 
Now,  Illinois,  stand  steady — now,  Kentucky,  to  their  aid, 
For  a  portion  of  our  waving  line  is  broken  and  dismay'd ; 
A  regiment  of  fugitives  are  fleeing  from  the  field, 
And  the  day  is  lost  if  Illinois  and  brave  Kentucky  yield  ! 

One  of  O'Brien's  guns  is  gone  !  on,  on  !  their  masses  drift, 
And  their  infantry  and  lancers  now  are  passing  to  our  left ; 
Our  troops  are  driven  from  the  hills,  and  flee  in  wild  dismay, 
And  round  us  gather  thick  and  dark  the  Mexican  array. 
Sant  Anna  thinks  the  day  is  gained,  and  riding  yet  more  near — 
Minon's  dark  cloud  of  lancers  sternly  menace  now  our  rear. 

Now,  Lincoln,  gallant  gentleman !  lies  dead  upon  the  field, 
Who  strove  to  stay  those  men  that  in  the  storm  of  bullets  reeled ; 
Now,  Washington,  fire  fast  and  true !  fire  Sherman,  fast  and  far  : 
Lo !  Bragg  comes  thundering  to  the  front,  to  breast  the  adverse  war  ; 
Sant  Anna  thinks  the  day  is  gain'd,  on,  on,  his  masses  crowd, 
And  the  din  of  battle  rises  up  more  terrible  and  loud. 

Not  yet !  our  brave  old  general  comes — he  will  regain  the  day — 

Kentucky,  to  the  rescue  !  Mississippi  to  the  fray  ! 

Now  charge,  brave  Illinoians  ;  and  Davis  drives  the  foe, 

And  back  upon  his  rifles  the  red  waves  of  lancers  flow ; 

Upon  them,  yet  once  more,  my  braves ;  the  avalanche  is  stay'd, 

Back  rolls  the  Mexique  multitude,  all  broken  and  dismay'd. 

Ho !  May  !  to  Buena  Vista  !  for  the  enemy  is  near, 

And  we  have  none  there  who  can  stop  their  vehement  career. 

Still  swelling,  downward  comes  the  tide — Porter  and  Yell  are  slain ; 

Marshall,  before  him,  drives  apart,  but  still  they  charge  in  vain  ; 

And  now,  in  wild  confusion  mix'd,  pursuers  and  pursued, 

On  to  Saltillo  wiHly  drift,  a  frantic  multitude. 

Upon  them,  with  your  squadrons,  May ! — out  leaps  the  flaming  steel, 
Before  his  serried  columns,  how  the  frightened  lancers  reel ; 
They  flee  amain  !  now  to  the  left,  to  stay  their  triumph  there, 
Or  else  the  day  is  surely  lost  in  horror  and  despair, 
For  their  hosts  are  pouring  swiftly  on,  like  a  river  in  the  spring, 
Our  flank  is  turned,  and  on  our  left  their  cannon's  thundering. 

37 


&<JO  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Now,  brave  Artillery  !  bold  Dragoons  !  steady,  my  men,  and  calm, 
Through  rain,  and  hail,  and  thunder,*  now  nerve  each  gallant  arm ; 
What  though  their  shots  fall  round  us  here,  still  thicker  than  the  hail  1 
We'll  stand  against  them,  as  the  rock  stands  firm  against  the  gale : 
Lo  !  their  battery  is  silenced  now !  our  iron  hail  still  showers — 
They  falter,  halt,  retreat,  Hurrah  !  the  glorious  day  is  ours ! 

Now,  charge  again,  Sant  Anna  !  or  the  day  is  surely  lost, 

For  back,  like  broken  leaves,  along  our  left  your  hordes  are  tossed — • 

Still  louder  roars  his  batteries,  his  strong  reserve  moves  on ; 

More  work  is  there  before  you,  men,  ere  the  good  fight  is  won ; 

Now  for  your  wives  and  children,  men !  stand  steady  yet  once  more  ! 

Now  for  your  lives,  your  honor,  fight,  as  you  never  fought  before. 

Ho !  Hardin  breasts  it  bravely  !  McKee  and  Bissell  there 

Stand  firm,  before  the  storm  of  balls  that  fill  the  astonished  air — 

The  lancers  are  upon  them  too,  the  foe  swarms  ten  to  one — 

Hardin  is  slain  !  McKee  and  Clay  the  last  time  see  the  sun ; 

And  many  another  gallant  heart  in  that  last  desperate  fray 

Grows  cold,  its  last  thoughts  turning  t' wards  its  lov'd  ones  far  away. 

Still  sullenly  the  cannon  roar'd,  but  died  away  at  last, 

And  o'er  the  dead  and  dying  came  the  evening  shadows  fast, 

And  then  above  the  mountains,  spread  the  cold  moon's  silvery  shield, 

And  patiently  and  pityingly  look'd  down  upon  the  field, 

And  careless  of  his  wounded,  and  neglectful  of  his  dead, 

Despairingly  and  sullenly  in  the  night  the  foeman  fled. 

And  thus  on  Buena  Vista's  heights  a  long  day's  work  was  done, 
And  there  our  brave  old  General  another  battle  won  : 
And  still  our  glorious  banner  waves,  unstained  by  flight  or  shame, 
And  the  Mexicans,  among  their  hills,  still  tremble  at  our  name. 
So  honor  unto  those  who  stood !  Disgrace  to  those  that  fled, 
And  everlasting  glory  to  the  brave  and  gallant  dead. 


The  following  lines  on  an  incident  of  the  same  battle  are  also 
worthy  of  insertion. 

"A   little   more    Grape,   Captain   Bragg-'' 

The  old  hero  stands  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 

With  his  heart  in  the  thick  of  the  fray, 
Where  his  squadrons  beneath  him  are  battling  still, 

On  the  eve  of  that  terrible  day  ; 
His  quick  eye  has  numbered  the  mustering  bands, 

And  he  points  to  the  enemy's  flag, 
While  the  battery  answers  the  old  man's  commands, 

"  A  little  more  grape,  Captain  Bragg  !" 

*  A  portion  of  the  day,  during  the  battle,  a  hail  storm  swept  over  the  field,  and  rain, 
accompanied  with  thunder  and  lightning. 


APPENDIX.  291 

The  foeman  charge  home  with  a  thundering  shock, 

And  a  touch  of  Castilian  pride  :* 
They  dash  on  our  lines  like  a  wave  on  the  rock, 

When  the  storm  is  abroad  on  the  tide ; 
The  wave  fallcth  back,  but  the  rock  standcth  still — 

There  is  heart  in  that  bristling  crag — 
And  the  old  man  stands  yet  on  the  brow  of  the  hill — 

"  A  little  more  grape,  Captain  Bragg  !" 

Then  spoke  the  loud  cannon — its  quick  thunders  again, 

Like  spirits  they  scream  on  the  air, 
And  the  fallen  are  lying  in  swarths  on  the  plain — 

Death's  busiest  reapers  are  there — • 
But  now  is  the  song  of  those  death-reapers  still, 

Yet  let  not  our  battle-song  lag, 
Hurrah  !  to  the  old  man  that  stood  on  the  hill — 

And  "  A  little  more  grape,  Captain  Bragg !" 


Colonel 

Colonel  William  Davenport,  who  commanded  the  rear  guard  in  the 
battle  of  Okeechobee,  was  bora  in  the  neighborhood  of  Petersburg, 
Virginia.  At  a  very  early  age  he  lost  his  father,  and  when  about 
nineteen,  removed  to  North  Carolina,  with  the  laudable  object  of  ob 
taining  means  to  relieve  his  widowed  mother.  His  efforts  were  in 
a  great  measure  successful.  He  remained  at  Raleigh  for  some  years, 
the  support  not  only  of  his  mother,  but  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  family.  In  these  humble  but  praiseworthy  pursuits,  he  so  far 
gained  the  esteem  and  affection  of  the  citizens,  by  his  industry  and 
modesty,  that  when  the  war  of  1812  occurred,  they  applied  for  a 
commission  for  him  in  the  army.  This  was  so  unexpected  to  its 
object,  that  the  first  notice  he  received  of  it,  was  by  a  committee 
waiting  on  him  with  a  commission  of  captaincy  dated  August  10th, 
1812.  This  he  gratefully  accepted,  and  was  ordered  to  Philadelphia, 
and  attached  to  the  Pennsylvania  troops.  To  this,  is  to  be  attributed 
the  circumstance  of  his  being  noticed  in  the  army  registers  as  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  The  silent  and  delicate  manner  in  which  the 
inhabitants  of  Raleigh  procured  this  commission,  has  always  been  a 
subject  of  gratitude,  and  warm  acknowledgment  to  the  colonel. 

Davenport  immediately  joined  the  army  on  the  northern  frontier, 
where  he  was  actively  employed  during  the  whole  war.  Here  hi» 


292  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

duties  were  arduous.  Constantly  on  guard  or  picket  companies,  and 
exposed  to  nightly  attacks  from  the  enemy,  he  was  frequently  two 
or  three  days  without  sleep,  and  almost  without  food  and  drink.  In 
one  attack  on  the  picket-guard  he  captured  Colonel  Fitzgerald,  a 
gallant  officer,  who  was  then  severely  wounded. 

Colonel  Davenport  was  in  the  battle  of  Fort  George,  where  he 
performed  effective  service.  After  peace  was  declared,  he  was  ordered 
with  eight  hundred  men  to  establish  a  military  post  at  Block  Island 
on  the  upper  Mississippi.  He  was  obliged  to  lead  his  men,  through 
almost  impenetrable  wilds,  among  tribes  of  hostile  Indians,  and  where 
a  white  man  had  never  before  trod.  From  Fort  Armstrong  he  was 
ordered  to  Arkansas  to  build  Fort  Gibson.  During  the  Seininole 
campaign  he  was  placed  on  the  recruiting  service  at  Nashville,  where 
was  commenced  his  friendship  for  the  person  and  family  of  General 
Jackson.  When  the  Black  Hawk  war  broke  out,  Colonel  Davenport 
commanded  at  Fort  Leavenworth  on  the  Missouri.  Here  he  received 
notice  from  General  Atkinson,  requesting  a  part  of  the  command  to 
act  against  the  Indians.  This  request  reached  the  fort  in  the  even 
ing,  and  early  the  next  morning  the  troops  were  embarked,  the 
colonel's  furniture  disposed  of,  and  himself  on  the  way  to  join  Gen 
eral  Atkinson.  Throughout  this  campaign  Davenport  did  good  and 
effective  service.  On  one  occasion,  being  ordered  to  pursue  the 
Indians  to  an  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Badaxe,  he  waded  with  his 
men  through  mud  and  water  three  feet  deep,  and  gained  the  island. 
Here  he  saw  but  a  solitary  man,  who  was  seated  on  a  log  holding  a 
rifle  in  one  hand  and  a  captured  squaw  in  the  other.  Upon  per 
ceiving  Colonel  Davenport  he  called  out  for  **  God's  sake  not  to 
advance,  or  he  was  a  dead  man."  The  colonel  replied,  "  I  came 
here  to  advance,  and  here  goes."  The  next  moment  a  discharge  of 
muskets  from  behind  the  logs,  killed  five  men,  and  wounded  others. 
The  Indians  were  routed  and  captured.  The  friendly  notice  was 
given  by  Captain  Gentry,  a  gallant  Missourian,  who  afterwards  fell 
in  the  battle  of  Okeechobee.  At  Block  Island  the  aged  Black  Hawk 
resigned  his  command  to  Keeokuk,  in  the  presence  of  Colonel 
Davenport. 

After  this  war  the  colonel  was  ordered  to  Fort  Snelling,  the 
upper  post  on  the  Mississippi,  and  General  Taylor  to  Prairie  du 


APPENDIX.  293 

Chien.  From  this  time,  with  very  few  interruptions,  these  officers 
were  associated  in  the  same  regiment ;  and  it  is  only  since  Daven 
port  has  been  full  colonel  that  a  separation  has  taken  place. 

General  Taylor  was  now  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  commanding  the 
first  regiment,  and  Davenport  at  Fort  Gibson,  commanding  the  sixth. 
A  transfer  was  made  between  these  two  officers,  so  that  the  colonel 
was  ordered  to  Taylor's  position,  while  that  officer  took  charge  of 
his  own.  This  was  subsequent  to  the  Florida  war.  During  that 
trying  period,  Davenport  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  first  regiment, 
and  served  four  years,  performing  duties,  as  difficult  as  those  of  any 
officer  in  the  country.  At  the  battle  of  Okeechobee,  he  commanded 
the  rear  guard,  and  his  position  probably  saved  him  from  falling  with 
many  others  on  that  trying  day.  While  pursuing  the  Indians  after 
the  battle,  no  food  passed  his  lips  for  forty-five  hours. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Colonel  Davenport  and  his  lady  ac 
companied  General  Taylor  and  his  family  in  their  first  northern 
tour.  He  was  then  ordered  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  he  enjoyed 
almost  a  year  of  rest,  but  as  before  stated,  he  was  afterwards  'pro 
moted  to  the  command  of  Fort  Gibson,  and  subsequently  trans 
ferred  to  his  first  post.  While  here  he  obtained  leave  to  visit 
Philadelphia,  from  which  place  it  was  his  intention  to  tender  his 
resignation  to  government ;  but  he  was  hindered  from  doing  so  by 
the  opening  of  the  present  war  with  Mexico.  He  was  then  ordered 
to  Jefferson  Barracks,  to  prepare  the  volunteers  and  newly  raised 
rifle  corps  for  service.  After  performing  these  duties,  he  was  ex 
tremely  anxious  to  join  that  part  of  his  regiment  in  active  service, 
and  made  several  efforts  for  that  purpose  ;  but  although  the  depart 
ment  informed  him  that  his  motives  were  appreciated,  yet  still  his 
services  were  too  important  at  the  barracks  to  accede  to  his  wishes. 
At  length,  however,  after  a  tedious  and  mortifying  service,  he  was 
ordered  to  take  command  of  Matamoras.  He  is  now  in  command 
of  the  military  district  of  the  lower  Rio  Grande,  governor  of  Mata 
moras,  commandant  of  the  port,  collector  of  the  customs,  civil 
judge,  <fec.  His  duties  are  severe,  with  but  little  prospect  of  reap 
ing  many  laurels  by  them. 

Colonel  Davenport  has  been  twice  brevetted,  once  according  to 
law,  for  ten  years'  faithful  service,  and  again  for  his  services  in  Flo- 


294         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

rida.  He  has  been  on  constant  duty  for  thirty-five  years,  with 
only  an  occasional  leave  of  absence,  and  during  all  that  long  term 
has  never  had  the  slightest  official .  charge  made  against  him.  He 
is  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  of  very  sound  judgment,  and  con 
siderable  information.  In  tactics  he  enforces  strict  discipline,  and 
is  so  good  a  drill  officer,  that'  however  remote  his  command  may  be 
from  inspection,  it  is  always  ready  for  any  service,  the  moment  it 
is  called  upon.  While  in  Florida,  the  colonel  earned  from  the  In 
dians  the  title  of  the  stubborn  chief,  on  account  of  his  determination 
of  purpose ;  and  a  proof  of  his  worth  is  given  by  the  fact  that  in 
all  the  reductions  which  have  been  made  in  the  army,  he  has  been 
retained,  without  making  the  least  effort  for  the  purpose,  either  per 
sonally  or  by  means  of  friends. 

In  1823  Colonel  Davenport  was  married  to  a  lady  of  Philadel 
phia.  In  that  city  he  is  well  known,  and  highly  esteemed,  and 
most  of  his  leaves  of  absence  are  spent  there.  He  ranks  among 
his  private  friends  nearly  all  the  officers  of  the  old  army.  He  was 
very'intimate  with  General  Brown  ;  and  he  now  holds  a  similar 
intimacy  with  Generals  Scott  and  Gaines. 

Colonel  Davenport  is  in  his  fifty-ninth  year,  in  easy  pecuniary 
circumstances,  of  a  vigorous  and  robust  constitution,  and  capable  of 
still  encountering  great  exposure  and  fatigue.  He  is  a  warm  friend, 
and  takes  great  delight  in  company  and  conversation.  His  princi 
pal  amusements  are  reading  and  field  sports,  but  he  never  permits 
these  to  interfere  with  any  known  duty. 


Vaglortf   Vfftffeolfiu*  t®  fjig 

The  following  anecdote  is  communicated  by  a  correspondent  of 
the  Montgomery,  Ala.,  Journal : 

"  The  General  had  occasion  to  visit  Point  Isabel,  after  the  battle 
of  Buena  Vista,  and  the  captain  of  the  steamboat  had  reserved  a  suite 
of  state  rooms  for  the  General's  accommodation.  There  were  several 
sick  and  wounded  volunteers  on  the  boat,  en  route  for  New  Orleans, 
who  had  to  take  the  wayfare  incident  to  a  crowded  boat,  and  par 
ticularly  so  on  this  occasion.  General  Taylor  saw  all  this,  and  at 
once  ordered  these  men  to  be  placed  in  his  state  rooms,  and  proper 


APPENDIX.  295 

attention  paid  them.  It  was  rather  a  cold,  rainy  day  when  this 
occurred.  The  deck  hands  and  many  others  on  the  boat  did  not  know 
General  Taylor.  The  wind  blew  high,  and  the  firemen  had  raised 
a  sail  in  front  of  the  boilers  to  protect  themselves  from  the  rain,  and 
under  this  sail  there  were  some  old  mattrasses;  here  General  Taylor 
lay  down  and  went  to  sleep.  At  supper  time  great  inquiries  were 
made  for  the  General,  and  servants  sent  off  to  look  him  up.  But  he 
could  not  be  found  !  At  last  some  one  going  below,  inquired  of  a  fire 
man  if  he  had  seen  anything  of  such  and  such  a  man — the  fireman  said 
no,  but  added,  "  there  is  a  clever  old  fellow  asleep  there  under  the 
sail,  in  front  of  the  fire  !"  It  was  General  Taylor.  Yes,  sweet  indeed 
must  have  been  the  sleep  of  such  a  man  who  has  the  heart  to  change 
places  with  the  poor  sick  soldier,  as  General  Taylor  did  on  this 
occasion  ;  such  humanity  stands  out  in  bold  relief,  and  greatly  mitigates 
the  evils  incident  to  war." 


(Efcneral 

We  insert  below  the  warm  tribute  of  respect  paid  by  the  chief 
officers  of  the  first  Illinois  regiment,  and  the  brave  General  Lane, 
of  the  Indiana  brigade,  to  General  Wool,  on  taking  leave  of  his  com 
mand  at  Buena  Vista.  It  is  a  triumphant  vindication  of  the  sound 
military  policy  which  this  brave  and  accomplished  officer  adopted 
and  vigorously  pursued  in  his  extraordinary  management  of  the 
volunteer  forces  of  his  army.  He  has  proved  by  the  result  of  his 
own  example  in  the  enforcement  of  discipline  and  the  establishment 
of  a  strict  but  just  military  police,  that  volunteers,  when  properly 
officered,  become  the  most  powerful  army  that  can  be  brought  into 
the  field.  They  are  then  taught  to  acquire  the  ordinary  efficiency  of 
regular  soldiers,  while  they  are  appealed  to  as  citizens,  and  retain  in 
full  vigor  that  spirit-rousing  stimulant  of  state  and  national  pride, 
which  worked  so  magically  on  the  battle  ground  of  Buena  Vista. 

There  is  another  fact  developed,  not  merely  by  the  immediate 
tribute  of  respect  to  which  we  call  attention,  but  in  the  general 
language  of  the  volunteers  since  the  great  battle,  which  we  regard  as 
highly  auspicious  for  the  service.  It  is  very  evident  that  most  of 


296  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

them  have  changed  their  views  entirely  as  to  the  necessity  of  discip 
line.  They  experienced  its  benefits  in  that  terrible  conflict,  and 
they  now  appreciate  its  importance.  What  would  have  been  their 
fate  if  discipline  had  been  previously  disregarded  ?  Their  force  on 
the  battle  field  was  but  4,610,  of  which  more  than  4,000  were 
volunteers,  who,  in  the  preceding  summer,  had  been  organized  into 
the  service  by  General  Wool  in  the  respective  states  of  which  they 
were  private  citizens. 

They  were  now  surrounded  by  an  army  of  twenty-four  thousand 
of  the  best  disciplined,  the  most  numerously  officered,  and  the  most 
veteran  army  ever  raised  in  Mexico.  Ten  thousand  of  them  with 
Ampudia  had  been  under  fire  at  Monterey,  and  there  were  officers 
and  men  who  had  fought  against  old  Spain,  and  made  civil  war  their 
pastime  for  twenty-five  years.  What,  we  repeat  the  question,  would 
have  been  the  fate  of  our  brave  and  devoted  little  army,  if  discipline 
had  been  neglected  ?  Probably  in  one  hour  they  would  have  been 
thrown  into  confusion,  and  then,  if  the  sanguinary  design  of  the  Su- 
warrow  of  Mexico  had  been  carried  out,  seconded  by  his  licensed 
assassins,  the  infuriated  lancers — and  his  Cossacks,  the  rancheros — 
who  were  placed  as  additional  outposts  to  cut  oflf  every  straggler,  and 
were  all  thirsting  for  blood  and  plunder,  not  one  man  of  our  heroic 
band  would  have  survived  to  tell  the  tale  of  horror. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  we  find  not  only  a  change  of 
opinion  as  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  discipline,  but  an  outpouring 
of  grateful  admiration  towards  General  Wool  for  his  steady  determina 
tion  in  enforcing  it,  and  his  admirable  example  in  directing  it  to  the 
best  advantage  on  the  field  of  battle.  He  had  known  battle  fields 
before.  But  the  volunteers,  with  the  exception  of  one  regiment,  had 
never  been  under  fire.  He  knew  that  his  sole  dependence  in  the 
hour  of  trial  would  be  from  that  self-confiding  bravery  which  discip 
line  alone  inspires.  Accordingly  he  had  from  the  moment  his  army 
was  concentrated  at  San  Antonio  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  until 
(after  accomplishing  a  march  of  nine  hundred  miles)  he  presented 
them  in  front  of  Saltillo  on  the  alarm  of  General  Worth  in  the  latter 
part  of  December,  and  thence  up  to  the  very  day  of  battle,  directed 
the  whole  energies  of  along  military  life  to  make  his  column  not  only 
the  proudest  model  of  an  army  in  all  its  appointments,  equipments 


APPENDIX.  297 

and  supplies,  but  the  best  in  its  discipline  and  military  deportment. 
In  this  he  did  succeed,  but  it  cost  him  his  popularity  with  many  of 
the  volunteers.  They  hud  dreamed  not  of  the  hardships  of  drill  and 
subordination,  of  order  and  discipline,  but  of  the  romances  of  military 
marches  and  encampments  ;  and  consequently,  as  the  Saltillo  Picket 
Guard  in  his  plain  style  says,  "  No  general  ever  had  so  many 
curses  for  so  few  offences."  But  now  how  changed  is  the  language 
of  the  volunteers. 

"I  tike  back,"  says  one  of  them  in  an  Arkansas  paper,  "all  I 
have  said  against  General  Wool."  "  Little  as  his  column  liked  him 
before  the  battle,"  says  another,  "  they  all  now  admit  that  he  is  a 
splendid  general."  "  General  Wool,"  says  a  third,  [[Telegraph  and 
Review,  Alton,  April  9,  1847,J  "behaved  most  gallantly,  and  has 
earned  all  the  country  can  do  for  him,  besides  the  respect,  esteem 
and  admiration  of  his  brigade,  who,  before  the  battle,  had  a  long  ac 
count  of  what  they  considered  petty  annoyances,  treasured  against 
him." 

Quotations  of  similar  purport  might  be  multiplied,  but  we  will  add 
only  the  following: 

The  Illinois  Volunteers  to  General  Wool. 

BRAZOS  SANTIAGO,  June  23d,  1847. 

BRIG.  GEN.  WOOL: — The  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  first  regi 
ment,  Illinois  volunteers,  on  the  eve  of  leaving  Mexico  for  their 
homes,  would  do  violence  to  their  own  feelings  did  they  not  tender 
to  their  immediate  commanding  general  a  testimonial  of  their  regafd. 
Upon  entering  the  service  a  year  since,  they  were  not  prepared  to 
appreciate  the  importance  of  discipline  and  drill,  and  consequently 
complained  of  them  as  onerous  and  unnecessary.  Complaints  were 
loud  and  many. 

Their  judgments  convinced,  these  feelings  have  undergone  a 
change,  and  they  now  thank  you  for  your  untiring  exertions  to  make 
them  useful  to  their  country  and  a  credit  to  the  state. 

Whatever,  sir,  of  service  we  may  have  done  our  common  country, 
or  whatever  of  honor  we  may  have  done  the  state  of  Illinois,  to 
General  J.  E.  Wool  is  due  the  credit.  You,  sir,  brought  your 
column  into  the  field  well  provided  for  and  disciplined,  and  fought 
them  well  when  you  got  them  there  ;  and  should  our  country  ever 

38 


298  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

again  need  our  services  in  the  field,  it  would  be  our  proudest  wish 
to  again  meet  the  enemy  under  the  immediate  command  of  one  in 
whose  energy,  watchfulness  and  courage  we  and  the  whole  army 
have  the  most  unlimited  confidence. 

With  the  best  wishes  for  your  future  fame  and  happiness,  on  the 
part  of  the  regiment  we  beg  leave  to  subscribe  ourselves  your  friends. 
Signed  by  W.  WEATHERFORD, 

Col.  first  Reg.  111.  Vol. 
W.  B.  WARREN,  Lieut.  Col. 
and  forty  company  and  staff  officers. 

General  Lane  to  General  Wool. 

BUENA  VISTA,  MEXICO,  May  20th,  1847: 

DEAR  GENERAL  :  In  a  few  days  we  are  to  take  up  the  line  of  march 
homeward,  and  from  my  understanding  of  the  law,  I  am  soon  to  be 
discharged,  and  I  greatly  hope  that  the  cause  which  gave  rise  to  my 
appointment  may  soon  cease  to  exist.  A  speedy  and  honorable  peace 
with  this  country  is  much  desired  by  every  American  citizen.  But, 
my  dear  General,  I  cannot  think  of  parting  with  you  without  ex 
pressing  my  high  opinion  of  your  great  worth  as  a  military  man. 
During  the  time  that  I  have  been  under  your  command,  I  have  found 
you  prompt,  faithful  and  vigilant,  in  the  discharge  of  your  duty, 
looking  alone  to  the  good  of  the  service  and  the  honor  and  glory  of 
our  country.  A  strict  disciplinarian,  you  have  discharged  your  duty 
with  ability,  and  an  impartiality  worthy  a  great  man.  Your  exer 
tions  as  second  in  command  at  the  great  and  glorious  battle  of  Buena 
Vista,  moving  to  and  fro  in  every  part  of  the  field,  watching  the 
movements  of  the  enemy,  exposed  to  danger  almost  every  moment 
of  the  day,  ordering  and  disposing  of  our  forces  in  the  best  manner 
to  meet  and  repulse  the  enemy.  By  your  exertions,  coolness  and 
courage  in  gaining  this  victory,  you  have  won  laurels  and  a  fame 
that  will  endure  as  long  as  the  traces  of  American  history  shall  exist. 
— Hoping  that  you  may  live  long  to  enjoy  the  thanks  of  a  grateful 
people, 

I  remain,  sir,  your  most  obedient  and  humble  servant, 

JOSEPH  LANE,  Brig.  Gen. 

BRIO.  GEW.  WOOL,  Commanding  forces  at  Buena  Vista,  Mexico. 


APPENDIX.  299 

at  3Suena 


Surgeon  Chamberlain  relates  the  following  incident  of  the  battle 
field.  "  During  the  retreat  of  the  Indianians,  General  Taylor  rode 
up  to  their  rear,  and  thus  addressed  them  :  "  Men  —  soldiers  —  fellow- 
countrymen,  I  fought  for  you  and  your  country  before  you  were 
born.  I  fought  for  you  when  you  were  hoys.  I  have  fought  for 
you  since  you  were  men.  Now  I  want  you  to  fight  a  little  for  me  ; 
will  you  do  it  ?" 

"  Hurrah  for  old  Zach  !  Turn  out  !  To  the  death  for  old  Zach  !" 
was  shouted  by  more  than  two  hundred  of  the  brave  fellows  (for  such 
they  subsequently  proved  themselves)  who  immediately  rallied  under 
an  officer,  and  fought  during  the  rest  of  thd*engagement." 


of  Captain 

This  officer  belonged  to  one  of  the  Indiana  regiments,  and  was 
killed  at  Buena  Vista.  In  handing  his  sword  to  a  friend,  he  uttered 
the  noble  exclamation  ; — "  Tell  the  boys  to  fight  on — our  cause  is 
jltit.n  The  name  of  such  a  man,  with  his  dying  sentiments,  should 
be  inscribed  upon  freedom's  banner,  and  carried  in  the  van  of  conflict 
through  all  time.  There  is  a  self-poised  and  self-balanced  grandeur 
in  a  nature  which,  under  the  awful  circumstances  of  exhaustion, 
death,  and  the  savage  roar  of  battle,  can  utter  a  sentence  like  this, 
that  will  appeal  to  the  hearts  of  men,  and  fill  them  with  molten  fire. 
The  history  of  mankind  scarcely  affords  an  equal  instance  of  such 
utter  abnegation  of  self  at  such  a  time.  Pain,  and  memory,  and  the 
black  shadows  of  death,  were  banished  from  the  heart  of  this  heroic 
man,  that  in  an  instant's  space  the  whole  merits  of  the  cause  in 
which  he  had  laid  down  his  life  might  be  examined,  and  that  search 
ing  flash  of  intelligence  which,  like  the  lightning,  laid  bare  all  that 
before  was  obscure,  enforced  the  conviction  uttered  with  his  dying 
breath.  To  such  a  spirit,  so  unselfish,  single  and  lofty,  this  was  all 
the  consolation  desired.  To  God  he  left  the  rest — and  who  will  say 
he  did  not  do  well  ?  Little  it  concerned  that  champion  of  freedom,  at 
that  moment,  what  the  living  might  say  of  him,  scarcely  expecting, 
perhaps,  more  than  a  local  and  transient  remembrance.  But  man- 


300  LIFE  OP  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

kind  it  does  concern,  that  the  dying  sentiments  and  the  dying  con 
victions,  as  well  as  the  name  of  so  pure  a  patriot,  should  not  be 
buried  in  oblivion. 


nigijt  after  t&e  Batik  of  Buena 

The  night  of  the  23d  of  February  last,  was  one  of  most  intense 
anxiety  to  the  participators  in  the  bloody  fight  of  Buena  Vista. 
After  twelve  hours  of  obstinate  fighting,  with  the  final  result  yet  un 
known,  nothing  but  water  having  passed  the  lips  of  those  gallant  men 
for  the  last  twelve  hours^  the  flower  of  their  respective  corps  dead  01 
wounded,  and  the  certainty  of  a  renewal  of  the  onslaught  the  next 
day,  it  is  hard  to  imagine  a  period  more  calculated  to  "  try  men's 
souls"  than  that  night.  After  the  cessation  of  the  fight,  came  the 
lassitude  superinduced  by  the  extraordinary  excitement  of  the  day  ; 
men  fell  exhausted,  and  bivouacked  in  line — "  the  weary  to  rest  and 
the  wounded  to  die."  The  depression  of  physical  energy  was  so 
great  that  neither  hunger  nor  danger  could  incite  them  ;  that  bloody 
field  was  at  eight  o'clock  as  silent  as  the  grave.  It  can  hardly  be 
surmised  what  were  the  feelings  of  that  "  great  old  man"  upon  con 
templating  the  results  of  that  day's  work.  No  officer  sought  repose, 
and  the  camp  fires,  which  on  other  occasions  had  been  the  scene  of 
jest  and  merriment,  were  now  still,  and  the  deep  anxiety  depicted 
on  the  faces  of  the  various  groups  of  officers  impressed  you  with 
a  solemnity,  foreboding  ill,  that  was  truly  painful.  All  eyes  were 
turned  ever  and  anon  to  the  tent  of  one  upon  whom  all  their  hopes 
were  placed,  but  not  a  light,  not  a  movement  could  be  discerned. 
The  occasion  made  that  single  tent  an  object  of  intense  solicitude. 
Some  wondered  if  he  was  alone  ;  others  would  have  given  their 
earthly  wealth  to  have  known  the  thoughts,  the  hopes,  the  wishes, 
the  intentions  of  the  old  hero  ;  but  all  was  dark  and  silent  as  the 

tomb.     Captain  L ,  of  the  topographical  engineers,  had  visited 

the  battle  ground  at  night.  He  had  made  some  discoveries  he  thought 
important  to  be  communicated  immediately  to  the  commander-in- 
chief.  On  approaching  the  General's  quarters,  he  overtook  his 
servant,  who  had  been  attending  to  his  master's  cavalry,  and  inquired 


APPENDIX.  301 

if  the  "  old  man"  was  alone  and  awake.  "  /  spec  he  fast  asleep, 
captin,for  he  eat  a  monstrous  hearty  supper,  and  when  he  eat  a 
big  supper  he  sleep  berry  hard  and  sound,  and  Irecon  you  won't 
see  de  *  old  hos*  'fore  4  o'clock  in  de  mornin.'  Listen,  you  hear 
him  snore  clean  out  here."  When  the  captain  made  a  report  of 
this  last  reconnoissance,  joy  and  satisfaction  were  diffused  through 
the  camp.  They  knew  that  all  was  safe. 


Opinion*  of  tfj* 

We  find  an  interesting  notice  of  the  Mexican  war  in  the  Madrid 
(Spanish)  Herald  of  May  3d,  a  translation  of  which  is  inserted. 
The  article  is  solemn,  dignified  and  remarkably  temperate,  both  in 
style  and  sentiment. 

"  The  news  from  Mexico  is  every  day  more  alarming — the  pro 
gress  of  the  invaders  each  day  more  rapid — the  demoralization  of  the 
country  each  day  more  profound.  We  have  before  us  the  official 
account  of  the  battle  of  Saltillo,  which  with  reason  we  considered, 
from  the  first,  as  a  very  doubtful  victory  on  the  side  of  the  Mexicans. 
The  truth  is,  that  although  they  succeeded  in  destroying  a  great  part 
of  the  invading  army,  it  was  at  the  cost  of  immense  losses,  and  the 
rout  of  the  Anglo-Americans  was  not  complete,  inasmuch  as  they  took 
many  prisoners,  and  Santa  Anna  was  obliged  to  retire  precipitately, 
as  far  as  San  Luis  de  Potosi. 

But  this  is  not  the  worst.  Whilst  the  republic  is  deprived  of 
all  kinds  of  resources — whilst  its  principal  army  is  reduced  to  a 
state  of  impotency — the  Anglo-Americans  have  disembarked  twelve 
thousand  men  within  three  miles  of  Vera  Cruz,  without  meeting 
with  the  least  resistance,  and  have  formally  commenced  the  siege  of 
this  town,  and  the  important  fortress  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa. 

This  place,  attacked  by  sea  and  land,  badly  defended  by  a  sparse 
garrison,  which  has  few  resources,  the  aqueducts  which  convey  to 
them  the  most  important  element  of  life  already  cut  off,  it  will  be  a 
prodigy  if  it  shall  have  been  able  to  resist,  even  for  a  few  weeks,  the 
energetic  attacks  of  its  enemies.  It  is  probable  that  San  Juan  de 


302  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

Ulloa  is  now  in  the  power  of  the  Anglo-Americans,  and  in  their 
power,  this  place  will  be  impregnable. 

What  we  announced  a  few  days  ago,  then,  now  commences  to  be 
realized.  The  Mexican  nationality  is  in  the  agonies  of  dissolution. 
In  a  few  years  the  empire  of  Montezuma,  the  brilliant  conquest  of 
Hernan  Cortes,  will  be  the  patrimony  of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  whose 
tireless  industry  will  quickly  absorb  the  Spanish  race  that  now  in 
habit  it.  The  country  will  doubtless  be  happier  and  more  enlight 
ened  ;  but  this  is  to  us  a  humiliating  consideration,  which  the  love 
we  bear  to  our  country,  and  the  race  to  which  we  belong,  make  it 
unlawful  for  us  to  touch  upon." 


Yesterday  (says  the  New  Orleans  Delta,  June  22d,)  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  an  introduction  to  one  of  the  officers  of  Colonel  Doni- 
phan's  regiment,  whose  martial  exploits,  and  indefatigable  marches, 
form  laudatory  themes  for  every  tongue.  We  found  him  unaffect 
edly  frank,  possessing  an  earnest  energy,  which  is  no  doubt  charac 
teristic  of  the  whole  regiment  of  those  western  braves. 

This  gentleman  furnished  the  editor  with  the  following  incidents 
connected  with  that  famous  expedition. 

In  the  course  of  the  march  certain  circumstances  occurred,  which 
the  men  translated  into  certain  auguries  of  success,  whatever  might 
be  the  perils  they  should  have  to  encounter,  and  this  opinion  may 
have  had  some  influence  in  forming  the  indomitable  spirit  they 
subsequently  evinced.  One  of  these  omens  he  related.  At  one 
time,  during  the  march,  both  men  and  cattle  were  almost  overcome 
with  thirst,  and  no  water  could  be  had  within  a  distance  of  sixteen 
or  eighteen  miles  of  them.  To  travel  so  far  was  impossible,  for  the 
oxen  fell  down  under  the  wagons,  unable  any  longer  to  hold  out 
against  the  parching  thirst  which  was  choking  them.  Just  at  the 
time,  and  without  a  single  indication  in  the  heavens  of  its  approach, 
the  rain  came  pouring  down  in  torrents,  and  continued  till  the  oxen 
could  drink  from  the  earth  around  them  where  they  lay,  and  where 
they  had  fallen  from  sheer  want  of  it. 


APPENDIX. 


By  tlie  way,  it  may  sound  something  like  a  misnomer,  but  still 
it  is  no  less  the  fact,  that  the  flying  artillery  of  the  expedition  had 
no  other  agency  of  transportation  either  in  the  battle  or  out  of  it, 
than  oxen,  not  the  swiftest  messengers  of  Mars,  it  must  be  admitted  ; 
worse  than  Mrs.  Bardell's  slow  coach,  by  a  long  odds. 


©j&e 

In  one  instance,  in  the  presence  of  some  American  officers,  the 
British  consul  was  very  eloquent  in  his  eulogies  of  the  Mexicans. 
They  were  a  most  brave,  enlightened  and  a  particularly  magnani 
mous  and  humane  people,  .who,  in  their  engagements  with  an  enemy, 
scrupulously,  observed  the  rules  of  war,  and  that  forbearance  to  a 
vanquished  foe,  dic'ated  by  the  more  enlightened  ethics  of  the  pre 
sent  day. 

"  Are  you  done  now,  stranger  ?"  said  the  captain  of  a  company 
raised  in  the  western  part  of  Missouri,  when  he  thought  he  had 
heard  him  out. 

"  I  am  done,"  said  the  consul ;  "  I  will  however  add,  that  my 
statement  is  unanswerable." 

"  Well,  if  this  here  don't  answer  you,"  said  the  young  volunteer, 
"  Tom  Benton  himself  could  not  stump  you  !"  and  he  held  up  the 
black  flag  which  the  enemy  unfurled  before  going  into  the  battle  of 
Sacramento,  which  showed  the  murderous  designs  of  the  Mexicans. 
The  representative  of  Queen  Victoria  said  nothing,  though  he  evi 
dently  thought  there  was  something  in  the  emblematic  eloquence 
of  the  Missourian. 


The  following  letter  will  convey  an  idea  of  the  nature  of  the 
Mexican  "  accommodations"  and  of  the  hardships  experienced  by 
the  gallant  men,  who  risk  their  lives  in  obedience  to  a  sense  of 
duty. 


304  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

CITY  OF  CHIHUAHUA,  March  7,  1847. 

DEAR  MAJOR  : — How  often  have  I  again  and  again  determined 
to  send  you  my  hearty  curses  of  every  thing  Mexican  ;  but  then 
I  knew  that  you  had  seen  the  sterile  and  miserable  country,  and 
its  description  would  be,  of  course,  no  novelty  to  you.  To  give 
you,  however,  a  brief  outline  of  our  movements,  I  have  to  say, 
that  we  have  marched  to  Santa  Fe  by  Bent's  Fort ;  thence  through 
the  country  of  the  Navajo  Indians  to  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 
ocean;  down  the  St.  Juan  river,  the  Rio  Colorado,  and  the  Gila, 
back  again  to  the  Rio  del  Norte ;  across  the  Jornada  del  Muerto 
to  Brazito,  where  we  fought  the  battle  of  which  you  have  doubtless 
seen  the  account ;  thence  to  the  town  of  El  Paso  del  Norte,  which 
was  taken  by  us  ;  thence  across  two  other  jornadas,  and  fought 
the  battle  of  the  Sacramento,  and  have  sent  you,  herewith,  a  copy 
of  my  official  report  of  the  same.  We  are  now  in  the  beautiful 
city  of  Chihuahua,  and  myself  in  the  palace  of  Governor  Frias. 

My  orders  are  to  report  to  General  Wool,  but  I  now  learn  that  in 
stead  of  taking  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  he  is  shut  up  at  Saltillo,  by  Santa 
Anna.  Our  position  will  be  ticklish  if  Santa  Anna  should  compel 
Generals  Taylor  and  Wool  ever  to  fall  back.  All  Durango,  Zaca- 
tecas,  and  Chihuahua  will  be  down  upon  my  little  army.  We  are 
out  of  the  reach  of  help,  and  it  is  as  unsafe  to  go  backward  as  for 
ward.  High  spirits  and  a  bold  front  is  perhaps  the  best  and  safest 
policy.  My  men  are  rough,  ragged,  and  ready,  having  one  more 
of  the  Rs  than  General  Taylor  himself.  We  have  been  in  service 
nine  months,  and  my  men,  after  marching  two  thousand  miles,  over 
mountains  and  deserts,  have  not  received  one  dollar  of  their  pay, 
yet  they  stand  it  without  murmuring.  Half  rations,  hard  marches, 
and  no  clothes  ! — but  they  are  still  game  to  the  last,  and  curse  and 
praise  their  country  by  turns,  but  fight  for  her  all  the  time. 

No  troops  could  have  behaved  more  gallantly  than  ours  in  the 
battle  of  the  Sacramento.  When  we  approached  the  enemy,  their 
numbers  and  position  would  have  deterred  any  troops,  less  brave  and 
determined,  from  the  attack ;  but  as  I  rode  from  rank  to  rank,  I 
could  see  nothing  but  the  stern  resolve  to  conquer  or  die — there 
was  no  trepidation,  and  no  pale  faces.  I  cannot  discriminate  between 
companies  or  individuals  ;  all  have  done  their  duty,  and  done  it 


APPENDIX.  305 

nobly.  Lafayette  has  sent  out  a  host  of  gallant  spirits  ;  the  whole 
company  behaved  nobly.  Your  nephew,  Lieutenant  Robert  Bar- 
nett,  (Lafayette  volunteers)  was  in  Captain  Reid's  cavalry  company, 
in  the  most  dangerous  charge  that  was  made  during  the  battle. 
Captain  May's  charge  at  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  was  not  bolder  or  bet 
ter  executed. 

Robert  (your  nephew)  is  a  gallant  and  high  tempered  boy,  and 
feels  himself  privileged  to  praise  and  to  blame  his  commanders,  as 
may  best  suit  his  fancy  for  the  time.  Lieutenant  Desha  Graves, 
(Lafayette  volunteers)  is  also  a  very  gnllant  man.  Indeed,  it  is  a  fine 
company  ;  not  better  than  my  others,  but  it  is  great  praise  to  say 
that  it  is  equal  to  the  best.  1  regret  most  deeply  the  death  of  poor 
Kirkpatrick.  He  was  in  Reid's  charge,  and  fought  like  a  lion. 

Colonel  Samuel  C.  Owens  lost  his  life  by  excessive  bravery  or 
rather  rashness.  He  rode  up  to  a  redoubt  filled  with  armed  men, 
and  continued  to  fire  his  pistols  into  it  until  himself  and  his  horse 
fell,  pierced  with  balls  upon  its  very  brink. 

When  we  are  to  leave  here — where  we  are  to  go,  or  what  is  to 
become  of  us,  you  will  be  enabled  to  conjecture  more  correctly 
by  the  time  this  letter  shall  have  reached  you,  then  I  can  at  this 
time. 

Give  my  best  respects  to  C.  French,  Esq.,  Judge  Ryland,  Colo 
nel  Wood,  Judge  H.  Young,  &c.  &c.,  and  for  yourself  I  send  the 
assurances  of  my  earnest  prayer  for  your  continued  prosperity,  and 
also  for  my  own  speedy  reunion  with  my  family  and  friends  in 
Missouri.  Your  friend,  very  truly, 

A.    W.    DONIPHAN. 
E.  M. 


of  $Tei 

We  have  given  a  description  of  the  siege  and  surrender  of  Vera 
Cruz,  as  gathered  from  the  reports  of  the  officers  ;  but  as  these 
are  necessarily  much  less  copious  or  satisfactory  than  accounts 
from  private  letters,  we  insert  the  following  stirring  narrative  from 

39 


306  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

the  pen  of  an  eye  witness.     The  interesting  incidents  it  narrates 
will  be  a  sufficient  excuse  for  its  length. 

"  On  the  5th  day  of  March,  1847,  while  the  American  squadron 
was  lying  at  Anton  Lizardo,  a  norther  sprang  up  and  commenced 
blowing  with  great  violence.  The  ships  rolled  and  pitched  and 
tugged  at  their  anchors,  as  if  striving  to  tear  them  from  their  hold, 
while  the  sea  was  white  with  foam.  About  noon  General  Scott's 
fleet  of  transports,  destined  for  the  reduction  of  Vera  Cruz,  came 
like  a  great  white  cloud,  bearing  down  before  the  storm.  The 
whole  eastern  horizon  looked  like  a  wall  of  canvass.  Vessel  after 
vessel  came  flying  in  under  reduced  sail,  until  the  usually  quiet 
harbor  was  crowded  with  them.  A  perfect  wilderness  of  spars 
and  rigging  met  the  eye  at  every  turn,  and  for  five  days  all  was 
bustle,  activity,  and  excitement.  Officers  of  the  two  services  were 
visiting  about  from  ship  to  ship  ;  drums  were  beating,  bands  of  music 
playing,  and  every  thing  told  of  an  approaching  conflict. 

On  the  I  Oth,  the  army  were  conveyed  in  huge  surf  boats  from 
the  transports  to  the  different  ships  of  war,  which  immediately  got 
under  way  for  Vera  Cruz.  During  the  passage  down  to  the  city, 
I  was  in  the  fore-top  of  the  United  States  sloop  of  war  "  Albany," 
from  which  place  I  had  a  good  view  of  all  that  occurred.  It  was 
a  grand  sight.  The  tall  ships  of  war  sailing  leisurely  along  under 
their  top-sails,  their  decks  thronged  in  every  part  with  dense  masses 
of  troops,  whose  bright  muskets  and  bayonets  were  flashing  in  the 
sunbeams  ;  the  jingling  of  spurs  and  sabers  ;  the  bands  of  music 
playing;  the  hum  of  the  multitude  rising  up  like  the  murmur 
of  the  distant  ocean;  the  small  steamers  plying  about,  their  decks 
crowded  with  anxious  spectators  ;  the  long  lines  of  surf  boats,  tow 
ing  astern  of  the  ships,  ready  to  disembark  the  troops — all  tended 
to  render  the  scene  one  of  the  deepest  interest. 

About  three  o'clock,  p.  M.,  the  armada  arrived  abreast  of  the  little 
island  of  Sacrificios :  where  the  time-worn  walls  and  battlements 
of  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  old  grim  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  with 
their  ponderous  cannon,  tier  upon  tier,  basking  upon  the  yellow  rays 
of  the  sun,  burst  upon  our  view.  That  embarkation  was  a  most 
beautiful,  nay  a  sublime  sight.  I  still  retained  my  position  in  the 


APPENDIX.  307 

fore-top,  and  was  watching  every  movement  with  the  most  anxious 
interest ;  for  it  was  thought  by  many  that  the  enemy  would  oppose 
the  landing  of  our  troops.  About  four  o'clock  the  huge  surf  boats, 
each  capable  of  containing  one  hundred  men,  were  hauled  to  the 
gangways  of  the  different  men  of  war,  and  quickly  laden,  and 
formed  in  a  single  line  nearly  a  mile  in  length.  At  a  given  signal 
they  commenced  slowly  moving  toward  the  Mexican  shore.  It 
was  a  grand  spectacle.  On,  on  went  the  long  range  of  boats,  loaded 
down  to  the  gunwales  with  brave  men,  the  rays  of  the  slowly  de 
parting  sun  resting  upon  their  uniforms,  and  bristling  bayonets,  and 
wrapping  the  far  inland  and  fantastic  mountains  of  Mexico  in  robes 
of  gold.  On  they  went,  the  measured  stroke  of  the  countless  oars 
mingling  with  the  hoarse  dull  roar  of  the  trampling  surf  upon  the 
sandy  beach,  and  the  shriek  of  the  myriads  of  sea-birds  soaring  high 
in  air,  until  the  boats  struck  the  shore,  and  our  army  began  to  land. 
At  this  instant  the  American  flag  was  planted,  and  unrolling  its  folds, 
floated  proudly  out  upon  the  evening  breeze.  The  crews  of  the 
men-of-war,  made  the  welkin  ring  with  their  fierce  cheering  ;  while 
a  dozen  bands  of  music  at  the  same  time,  and  actuated  by  the  same 
impulse,  struck  up 

"  Tis  the  star  spangled  banner !  O,  long  may  it  wave, 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free,  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 

Early  the  next  morning  the  old  grrm  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa 
commenced  trying  the  range  of  its  heavy  guns,  throwing  Paixhan 
shells  at  the  army,  and  continued  it  at  intervals,  for  a  week  ;  but 
with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  skirmish  with  the  lancers,  they 
had  all  the  fun  to  themselves.  In  the  mean  time  our  forces  went 
quietly  on  with  their  preparation,  stationing  their  pickets,  planting 
their  heavy  mortars,  landing  their  horses,  provisions,  and  munitions 
of  war,  though  constantly  annoyed  by  a  ceaseless  fire  from  the  Mex 
ican  batteries,  which  they  were  too  busy  to  return. 

On  the  24th,  Lieutenant  Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  with  a  zeal  worthy 
of  his  illustrious  father — the  hero  of  Lake  Erie — dismounted  one 
of  the  waist  guns  of  the  Albany,  a  sixty-eight  pounder,  procured  a 
number  of  volunteers,  who,  with  such  a  leader,  would  have  willingly 
charged  up  to  th«  muzzles  of  the  Mexican  cannon,  and  taking  about 


308        LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

forty  rounds  of  Paixhan  shells,  proceeded  on  shore,  where,  after 
dragging  his  gun  through  the  sand  for  three  miles,  he  arrived  at  a 
small  fortification,  which  the  engineers  had  constructed,  in  a  situa 
tion  commanding  the  whole  city  of  Vera  Cruz.  Roused  by  such 
a  gallant  example,  the  crews  from  each  of  the  other  ships  disem 
barked  guns,  and  conveyed  them  to  the  breast-work.  In  this 
they  were  favored  by  the  situation  of  the  works,  which  were  con 
cealed  from  the  eyes  of  the  Mexicans  by  an  almost  impervious 
chapparal ;  so  that  in  a  short  time  they  completed  a  most  formida 
ble  fortress,  which  was  styled  th?  naval  battery. 

At  this  time,  while  a  constant  fire  of  shot  and  shells  were  thrown 
at  the  army  by  the  enemy,  General  Scott  having  quietly  made  all 
his  arrangements,  sent  a  flag  of  truce  with  a  summons  for  the  im 
mediate  surrender  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de 
Ulloa,  together  with  a  full  assurance,  that  unless  the  demand  was 
complied  with,  an  attack  would  follow.  As  a  matter  of  course, 
the  Mexicans  expecting  an  assault,  for  which  they  were  well  pre 
pared,  and  not  a  bombardment,  returned  an  indignant  refusal,  and 
were  told  that  at  four  o'clock,  p.  M.,  they  should  hear  further  from 
us.  In  the  mean  time  the  chapparal  had  been  cut  away,  disclosing 
the  naval  battery  to  the  gaze  of  the  astonished  Mexicans,  and  the 
mortars  and  heavy  artillery  which  had  been  planted  upon  the  hills 
overlooking  the  city,  and  were  ready  to  vomit  forth  their  fires  of 
death.  Every  person  was  now  waiting  with  terrible  anxiety  the 
commencement  of  the  fray. 

About  four  o'clock,  p.  M.,  while  the  crews  of  the  squadron  were 
all  at  supper,  a  sudden  and  tremendous  roar  of  artillery  on  shore, 
proclaimed  that  the  battle  had  begun.  The  tea-things  were  left  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  and  sick  and  well  tumbled  up  the  ladders 
to  the  spar  deck.  I  followed  with  the  human  tide,  and  soon  found 
myself  in  the  fore-top  of  the  Albany,  and  looking  around  me,  a  sub 
lime  but  terrific  sight,  my  elevated  perch  presented  to  the  view. 
Some  two  hundred  sail  of  vessels  were  lying  immediately  around 
us,  their  tops,  cross-trees,  yards,  shrouds — every  thing  where  a  foot 
hold  could  be  obtained — crowded  with  human  beings,  clustered  like 
swarming  bees  in  midsummer,  all  intently  watching  the  battle.  I 
turned  my  eyes  on  shore.  Jonathan  had  at  last  awakened,  from 


APPENDIX.  309 

his  slumber,  and  had  set  to  work  in  earnest.  Bombshells  were  fly 
ing  into  Vera  Cruz  like  hail-stones.  Sulphureous  flashes,  clouds 
of  smoke,  and  the  dull  boom  of  the  heavy  guns  arose  from  the 
walls  of  the  city,  in  return ;  while  ever  and  anon,  a  red  sheet  of 
flame  would  leap  from  the  great  brass  mortars  of  the  castle,  followed 
by  a  report  which  fairly  made  the  earth  tremble.  The  large  ships 
of  the  squadron  could  not  approach  near  enough  to  the  shore  to 
participate  in  the  attack  upon  the  city,  without  exposing  themselves 
to  the  fire  of  tfie  castle ;  but  all  the  gun  boats,  small  steamers,  and 
every  thing  that  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  enemy  were 
sent  in,  and  commenced  blazing  away — a  steady  stream  of  fire  like 
the  red  glare  of  a  volcano.  This  state  of  things  continued  until 
sunset,  when  the  small  vessels  were  called  off;  but  the  mortars 
kept  throwing  shells  into  the  devoted  town  the  whole  night.  I 
watched  them  until  after  midnight,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most 
striking  displays  that  I  ever  beheld. 

A  huge  black  cloud  of  smoke  hung  like  a  pall  over  the  Ameri 
can  army,  completely  concealing  it  from  view  ;  the  Mexicans  had 
ceased  firing  in  order  to  prevent  our  troops  from  directing  their  guns 
by  the  flashes  from  the  walls  ;  but  the  bombardiers  had  obtained 
the  exact  range  before  dark  and  kept  thundering  away,  every  shell 
falling  directly  into  the  city.  Suddenly  a  vivid  lightning-like  flash 
would  gleam  for  an  instant  upon  the  dense  cloud  of  smoke  over  our 
lines,  and  then,  as  the  roar  of  the  great  mortar  was  borne  to  our 
ears,  the  ponderous  shell  would  be  seen  to  dart  upward  like  a  me- 
teor,~and  after  describing  a  semicircle  in  the  air,  descend  with  a 
loud  crash  upon  the  house-tops  or  into  the  resounding  streets. 
Then  after  a  brief,  but  awful  moment  of  suspense,  a  lurid  glare,  illu 
minating  for  an  instant  the  white  domes  and  grim  fortresses  of  Vera 
Cruz,  falling  into  ruins  with  the  shock,  and  the  echoing  crash  that 
came  borne  to  our  cars,  told  that  the  shell  had  exploded,  and  exe 
cuted  its  terrible  mission.  Throughout  the  whole  night  these  fear 
ful  missiles  were  travelling  into  the  city,  in  one  continued  stream  ; 
but  the  enemy  did  not  return  the  fire  until  daylight,  when  their  bat- 
tei-ies  reopened  with  the  most  determined  bravery. 

About  eight  o'clock,  A.  M.,  Perry  and  his  brave  associates,  having 
finished  the  mounting  of  their  guns,  and  completed  all  other  arrange- 


310  LIFE   OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

ments,  opened  with  a  tremendous  roar  the  naval  battery,  upon  the 
west  side  of  the  city,  and  were  immediately  answered  from  four 
distinct  batteries  of  the  enemy.  The  firm  earth  trembled  beneath 
the  discharge  of  these  ponderous  guns  ;  the  shot  flew  like  hail  into 
the  town,  and  was  returned  with  interest  by  the  Mexicans.  Their 
heavy  guns  were  served  with  wonderful  precision,  almost  every  shot 
striking  the  fort,  bursting  open  the  sand  bags  of  which  it  was  con 
structed,  and  covering  men  and  officers  with  a  cloud  of  dust.  Many 
shot  and  shell  were  thrown  directly  through  the  embrasures,  and  to 
use  the  expression  of  one  of  our  old  tars  who  had  been  in  several 
engagements,  *  The  red-skins  handled  their  long  thirty-twos,  as  if 
they  had  been  rifles.'  One  officer  and  several  of  our  men  had 
fallen,  but  the  remainder  of  the  brave  fellows  kept  blazing  away, 
until  the  forts  and  ramparts  of  the  city  began  to  crumble  to  the 
earth.  This  state  of  things  lasted  to  the  27th,  the  army  throwing 
a  constant  shower  of  bombs  into  the  city,  and  the  naval  battery 
(manned  daily  by  fresh  officers  and  men)  beating  down  the  fortifica 
tions  and  destroying  every  thing  within  its  range,  when  a  flag  of 
truce  was  sent  out  with  an  offer  of  the  unconditional  surrender  of 
the  city  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa.' 


apitulation. 

"  It  was  a  clear  bright  sunny  day  on  which  the  surrender  took 
place.  By  special  good  fortune,  the  author  of  this  sketch  obtained 
an  opportunity  of  being  present  at  the  capitulation,  and  a  most 
splendid  and  glorious  pageant  it  was.  The  boat  in  which  we 
embarked  put  off  from  the  ship  about  eight  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  after 
a  long  pull  through  the  fleet  of  transports,  we  landed  on  a  white 
level  sand  beach,  about  three  miles  to  the  southward  of  Vera  Cruz. 
Here  we  found  the  encampment  of  the  volunteers ;  and  after 
straying  around  among  the  tents,  filled  with  a  ragged  and  motley 
assembly,  and  seeking  in  vain  for  horses  at  the  markees  of  the 
different  quartermasters,  we  started  off  for  the  *  Field  of  the  grounded 
arms.' 

After  crossing  the  sand  hills,  which  rise  from  the  beach,  we  came 


APPENDIX.  311 

suddenly  upon  the  stage  of  the  theatre  of  war.  Cannon  balls  were 
lying  over  all  the  plain,  like  corn  upon  the  thresher's  floor,  while 
here  and  there  might  be  descried  vast  caverns  ploughed  in  the  earth 
by  the  shells  from  the  castle.  Columns  of  troops  were  moving 
about  in  every  direction  ;  general  and  staff  officers  galloping  around 
the  field  on  their  spirited  chargers ;  drums  were  beating,  trumpets 
braying,  bands  of  music  playing,  and  the  star-spangled  banner  floating 
gaily  on  the  breeze.  It  was  a  moment  to  make  one  proud  of  his 
country.  After  a  fatiguing  walk  we  came  to  a  long  level  plain,  green 
with  verdure,  extending  for  more  than  a  mile,  where  the  Mexicans 
were  to  lay  down  their  arms.  Having  secured  a  spot  where  we 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  whole  field,  and  while  congratulating  ourselves 
on  our  good  fortune,  one  of  General  Scott's  aids  came  galloping  over 
the  field  on  his  panting  steed,  and  shouted — 

Gentlemen,  the  General  directs  that  this  place  shall  be  kept 
clear.  The  Mexicans  are  to  march  out  here  ;  so  you  will  perceive 
the  necessity  of  seeking  other  quarters.' 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  Our  party  separated,  each  taking  up 
the  position  that  pleased  him.  An  officer  of  the  army  who  hap 
pened  to  bo  off  duty  at  the  time,  and  who  had  in  his  possession  an 
excellent  telescope  went  with  me  to  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  which 
commanded  a  view  of  the  whole  field,  and  where  a  thick  chapparal 
through  whose  branches  the  cool  luxuriant  winds  came  singing, 
spread  its  grateful  shade  above  our  heads,  as  we  reclined  upon  the 
soft  carpet-like  earth,  and  gazed  upon  the  magnificent  view  before  us. 
There  lay  the  sandy  plains,  dotted  with  the  white  tents  of  the 
eoldiers  ;  the  green  field  on  which  the  enemy  was  to  pile  his  arms, 
the  shattered  walls,  ramparts  and  white  domes  of  the  city,  the  time- 
worn  battlements  of  the  castle,  over  which  the  half-masted  flag  of 
Mexico  was  trailing  in  sadness  ;  and  beyond,  the  great,  solemn,  sleep 
ing  sea,  on  whose  unruffled  bosom  the  countless  fleet  of  transports, 
men-of-war,  and  steamers,  as  the  long  glassy  surge  came  sweeping 
in,  rolled  lazily  to  and  fro,  with  their  wilderness  of  spars  and  rigging, 
basking  in  the  yellow  sunshine.  It  was  a  most  beautiful  sight,  and 
one  that  can  never  be  effaced  from  my  memory. 

About  ten  o'clock  A.  M.  the  American  army  moved  up  in  two 
columns — a  perfect  forest  of  glittering  bayonets — the  regular  troops 


312         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

on  the  right  and  the  volunteers  on  the  left,  enclosing  the  extended  field 
in  a  hollow  square,  with  an  opening  nearest  the  city,  through  which 
the  Mexicans  were  to  enter.  In  a  short  time  the  sound  of  mournful 
music  announced  that  the  enemy  was  approaching;  and  looking 
toward  the  city  we  beheld  his  columns  moving  out  in  good  order, 
and  in  the  direction  of  our  army. 

On  they  came,  the  poor,  crest-fallen,  half-starved,  emaciated  crea 
tures,  marching  to  the  most  mournful  strains  ear  ever  heard  ;  the  long 
dejected  looking  files  of  troops,  accompanied  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  city — women  and  children,  the  old,  the  young,  the  crippled — all 
bearing  off  their  little  treasures.  Some  were  seen  staggering  under 
the  weight  of  old  trunks,  others  loaded  down  with  bags  of  meal — no 
doubt  their  little  all.  I  need  not  say  that  I  sincerely  sympathized 
with  them  in  their  deep  distress  ;  and  as  I  looked  around  upon 
many  poor  pale  sorrowing  faces  of  the  females,  rny  heart  ached  for 
them,  and  I  involuntarily  breathed  forth  a  curse  upon  the  inventor  of 
war. 

After  the  soldiers  had  stacked  their  arms,  and  while  they  were 
waiting  to  be  paroled,  I  came  down  from  the  hill  where  I  had  been 
seated,  and  strolling  around  among  the  columns  of  Mexicans,  was 
surprised  to  find  so  many  fine  looking  men  and  officers  among  them. 
They  had  the  appearance  of  being  well  disciplined,  and  their  arms 
and  accoutrements  were  in  a  most  excellent  condition.  Although  I 
was  entirely  alone  and  wore  the  uniform  of  the  navy,  not  an  insult 
was  offered  to  me  ;  and  whenever  I  thought  proper  to  salute  one 
of  their  officers,  the  civility  was  always  promptly  and  courteously 
acknowledged. 

On  I  went  in  a  spirit  of  wild  recklessness,  stopping  to  exchange 
an  occasional  smile  or  kind  word  with  the  pretty  senoritas,  with  their 
large  dark  languishing  eyes,  raven  tresses  hanging  down  almost  to 
the  earth,  and  with  their  swelling  bosoms  more  than  half  disclosed 
to  view.  Suddenly  looking  up,  I  for  the  first  time  discovered  that 
1  had  left  our  army,  and  all  assistance  far  behind,  and  that  I  was 
alone  in  the  very  midst  of  the  armed  and  swarthy  hordes  of  the  ene- 
myi  and  directly  before  the  principal  gate  of  the  city.  To  add  to  my 
uneasiness,  I  perceived  many  dark  and  threatening  glances  cast 
toward  mo  from  the  sullen  column  of  soldiers  ;  nnd  I  have  no  doubt, 


APPENDIX.  313 

that  had  they  not  been  restrained  by  a  fear  of  their  officers,  they 
would  have  sacrificed  me  on  the  spot  to  gratify  their  thirst  for  revenge. 
I3ut  let  me  feel  as  I  would,  it  was  no  time  to  show  indecision ;  so  I 
walked  quietly  along  the  walls,  examining  the  loop-holes  for 
musketry,  and  speculating  in  my  own  mind,  whether  some  one 
of  the  enemy  might  not  lie  concealed  behind  them  as  at  Monterey, 
and  take  a  fancy  to  make  a  target  of  me.  I  can  testify  from  personal 
experience,  that  the  spot  on  which  I  stood  at  that  time,  was  not  a 
bed  of  roses.  Had  I  been  made  the  victim  of  some  deadly  marksman, 
who,  at  such  a  time,  could  ever  have  ferreted  out  the  assassin  ? 

Just  at  this  moment,  to  my  great  relief,  Mr.  Crossan,  a  very  brave 
and  accomplished  officer,  accompanied  by  three  others,  came  up, 
having  like  me  wandered  on  in  advance  of  the  army.  After  a  brief 
consultation,  it  was  decided  to  go  on  at  all  hazards.  Accordingly 
we  crossed  the  old  bridge,  and  after  passing  over  a  ponderous 
arched  gate-way,  found  ourselves  in  the  almost  deserted  streets.  We 
were  the  first  Americans  that  entered  Vera  Cruz. 

What  a  scene  of  distress  and  desolation  met  the  eye  at  every 
turn !  For  nearly  a  week  the  American  army  had  rained  a  ceaseless 
shower  of  bombs  into  the  ill-fated  city,  and  not  a  street,  and  scarcely 
a  house,  remained  unvisited  by  these  terrible  missiles.  The  pave 
ments  ploughed  up,  beautiful  dwellings  shattered  into  masses  of  ruins, 
signs  of  every  description  broken  in  pieces,  and  fragments  of  shells 
lying  around  in  every  direction — these  told  of  the  havoc  which  had 
been  made  with  our  enemies.  The  few  people  who  remained  in  the 
city,  seemed  completely  cowed  down,  and  beaten  out  with  constant 
fatigue,  anxiety,  and  want  of  sleep  ;  and  as  we  passed  along  the 
echoing  streets,  they  looked  out  of  their  broken  windows  timidly 
upon  us,  as  if  expecting  insult  and  violence.  For  myself  I  sincerely 
sympathized  with  them  in  their  poignant  distress  ;  and  even  had  I 
possessed  the  power,  I  would  not  for  the  universe  have  injured  one 
of  the  poor  pale  faced  creatures  of  that  many  sorrowed  throng.  There 
is  something  in  deep  distress  which  claims  a  kindred  feeling  in  the 
breast  of  humanity. 

I  soon  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  wandered  alone 
over  the  entire  city.  During  the  whole  of  my  peregrinations,  I  was 
treated  with  the  greatest  respect  and  kindness  ;  and  whenever  I 

40 


3U         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

stopped  before  a  house  to  gaze  upon  the  damage  done  by  a  shell, 
some  of  the  inmates,  if  the  building  was  not  deserted,  would  come 
to  the  shattered  door,  invite  me  to  enter,  point  out  their  furniture 
destroyed,  or  the  time-worn  walls  stained  with  the  life  blood  of  a 
father  or  a  mother,  a  sister  or  a  brother. 

Nor  was  it  the  Mexicans  alone  that  suffered.  The  foreign  resi 
dents  of  the  town  not  expecting  a  bombardment,  but  an  assault  from 
our  army,  had  remained  at  their  residences  ;  and,  to  use  the  phrase 
of  the  indignant  British  consul, '  were  caught  like  so  many  rats  in  a 
trap.'  That  gentleman  informed  me  that  for  a  whole  week,  he  had 
not  taken  off  his  clothes,  and  had  scarcely  slept  a  moment  during  the 
whole  of  the  bombardment.  *  Whenever,'  said  he,  '  a  person  did 
lie  down  to  obtain  a  little  rest,  it  was  with  the  comforting  thought  that 
in  all  human  probability,  a  great  bombshell  would  come  down  through 
the  roof  of  the  house,  and  take  up  its  quarters  by  his  side  as  a  bed 
fellow.'  He  went  on  to  say  that  during  the  second  night  of  the 
bombardment,  he  collected  together  quite  a  large  party  of  his  friends, 
if  I  remember  rightly  some  twenty  in  number,  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
who  took  refuge  in  the  parlor  of  a  large  stone  house,  which  being 
very  strong  was  thought  to  be  tolerably  safe  against  the  incursion  of 
the  shells,  though  they  could  be  heard  crashing  into  the  city  like  a 
hail-storm.  But  while  the  party  were  congratulating  themselves 
upon  their  probable  security,  they  heard  a  dreadful  crash  upon  the 
roof  of  the  house,  which  made  its  firm  walls  tremble,  and  in  an  in 
stant  the  terrible  missile  landed  directly  in  the  centre  of  the  room, 
and  exploding  with  a  blinding  glare  and  deafening  noise,  shattered 
down  the  building,  and  destroyed  twelve  of  the  unfortunate  inmates. 
In  fact  no  place  was  safe  ;  the  palace  of  the  grandee,  and  the  hut 
of  the  wretched  peasant,  shared  one  common  fate. 

In  the  afternoon  I  visited  the  hospital  where  the  wounded  were 
lying ;  some  of  them  in  the  last  mortal  agonies,  some  with  their  arms 
blown  off,  others  with  their  legs-  broken,  and  all  horribly  mutilated. 
The  old,  the  young,  the  rich,  the  poor,  male  and  female,  had  been 
gathered  in  from  all  parts  of  the  city,  to  this  vast  receptacle  of  pain 
and  suffering.  Heart  rending  moans  arose  from  every  quarter  of  the 
building,  and  clouds  of  flies  almost  darkened  the  air — I  turned  in 
horror  from  the  sickening  sight. 


APPENDIX  315 

Before  night  the  town  was  filled  with  our  troops,  who  kept  pour 
ing  in,  regiments  at  a  time  ;  and  a  constant  stream  of  baggage  wagons 
were  entering  at  the  different  gates,  from  the  scene  of  the  capitulation, 
loaded  with  the  arms  and  accoutrements  of  the  vanquished  enemy. 
As  the  vehicles  passed  me  rattling  over  the  ruined  pavements,  with 
their  glittering  freights,  on  their  way  to  deposit  them  for  safekeeping 
in  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  I  could  not  but  think  of  Long 
fellow's  beautiful  and  truthful  lines. 

'  Is  it,  O  man,  with  such  discordant  noises, 
With  such  accursed  instruments  as  these, 
Thou  drownest  Nature's  sweet  and  kindly  voices, 
And  jarrost  the  celestial  harmonies  1 

Were  half  the  power  that  fills  the  world  with  terror, 
Were  half  the  wealth  hestowed  on  camps  and  courts, 
Given  to  redeem  the  human  mind  from  error, 
There  were  no  need  of  arsenals  nor  forts. 


The  following  incidents  concerning  the  battle  of  Sierra  Gordoare 
taken  from  the  New  Orleans  Delta. 

Tlie.  Generosity  of  our  Soldiers. — The  kindness  of  our  men  to 
the  wounded  of  the  enemy  was  as  conspicuous  as  their  fortitude 
under  suffering.  After  the  battle  was  over  they  could  be  seen  on 
every  side  lifting  the  poor  fellows  into  easier  positions,  supplying 
them  with  water,  and  binding  up  their  wounds.  Sturdy  fellows,  who 
a  few  minutes  before  were  charging  against  the  enemy  with  the  most 
destructive  fury  and  savage  determination,  were  now  transformed 
by  victory  into  kind  nurses,  who  watched  over  and  assisted  their 
wounded  enemies  with  the  most  tender  care  and  solicitude.  The 
circumstances  too,  were  not  calculated  to  arouse  very  kindly  feelings 
on  the  part  of  our  men.  The  cowardly  advantage  taken  by  the  enemy 
in  raising  the  white  flag  after  they  had  killed  so  many  of  our  men 
from  their  secure  defences,  and  just  at  the  time  when  a  bloody  ven 
geance  was  to  be  taken  for  the  severe  loss  we  had  incurred,  caused 
an  almost  irrepressible  excitement  and  hatred  in  the  bosoms  of  our 
men.  They  could  scarcely  be  kept  off'  until  the  enemy  were 


316  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

disarmed,  and  then  they  were  perfectly  safe.  American  soldiers, 
resolute  and  irresistible  against  an  armed  foe,  would  not  raise  their 
hands  against  one  unarmed  and  defenceless. 

Major  Stunner. — Major  Sumner,  who  led  the  rifles  in  the  attack 
of  the  17th  on  the  enemy's  advanced  position,  made  a  very  narrow 
escape.  In  the  charge,  lie  was  struck  on  the  head  by  a  musket 
ball.  The  bullet  was  flattened  to  the  thickness  of  a  dime,  and  retained 
on  its  surface  the  print  of  the  major's  hair,  and  yet,  strange  to  say, 
excepting  the  severance  of  an  artery,  he  sustained  no  serious  injury. 
The  artery  was  taken  up,  and  at  the  last  accounts  the  major  was 
doing  well.  This  excellent  officer — accounted  one  of  the  best 
tacticians  and  disciplinarians  in  the  army — may  certainly  felicitate 
himself  on  the  strength  of  his  craniological  defences.  He  will  never 
find  any  difficulty  in  getting  a  liberal  policy  in  any  of  our  life 
insurance  offices. 

The  Soldiers  of  Vera  Cruz. — The  defenders  of  Vera  Cruz,  who 
were  released  on  thair  parole,  are  viewed  in  a  very  unfavorable  light 
by  the  Mexican  government.  Morales,  Landero,  and  other  of  the 
officers  who  were  in  command  at  Vera  Cruz,  have  been  arrested  for 
cowardice,  and  sent  to  Guanajuato,  to  be  imprisoned  and  tried. 
Morales  is  especially  charged  with  exhibiting  feelings  of  friendship 
for  the  United  States,  and  with  having  declared  publicly,  in  Jalapa 
and  elsewhere,  that  it  was  vain  to  resist  the  Americans  ;  that  they 
were  better  guardians  of  the  happiness  of  Mexico  than  her  own  rulers. 
He  advised  the  ladies  of  Jalapa  to  remain  in  town,  and  assured  them 
and  the  people  generally,  that  they  would  suffer  no  harm  or  outrage 
from  the  Americans.  We  sincerely  hope  this  assurance  of  our 
gallant  enemy  will  be  fully  justified  by  the  conduct  of  our  troops. 
Thus  far,  General  Scott,  we  understand,  has  succeeded  in  maintaining 
excellent  discipline  and  subordination  in  his  large  force.  No  rob 
beries,  no  devastation  or  outrages  of  any  sort  have  marked  the  course 
of  his  army.  The  houses  on  the  roadside  were  left  undisturbed,  the 
cattle  and  provisions  of  the  poor  farmers,  the  little  stock  of  merchan 
dize  in  the  stores — even  the  decanters  in  the  grog  shops,  on  the  return 
of  the  owners — who  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  army — were  found 
just  as  they  were  left,  with  the  single  exception  that  a  few  of  the 
decanters  were  emptied. 


APPENDIX.  317 

The  dead  of  the  enemy  at  the  battle  of  Sierra  Gordo  were  un- 
stripped  and  undisturbed  by  our  men.  The  private  property,  money, 
jewelry,  etc.  of  the  officers,  were  all  delivered  over  to  the  pay 
department,  to  be  sent  to  the  friends  of  the  deceased  officers.  There 
was  not  a  single  case  of  robbery  complained  of  by  any  of  the  prisoners. 
It  was  whispered  among  the  soldiers  that  in  removing  Santa  Anna's 
specie  chests  into  our  camp,  one  of  them  accidentally  fell  rather 
violently  on  a  rock,  and  a  few  castings  rolled  out ;  whether  they 
were  ever  picked  up,  or  if  picked  up,  if  they  ever  got  back  into 
Santa  Anna's  pocket,  was  never  ascertained  nor  particularly  inquired 
into. 

The  Mexicans  are  favorably  impressed  towards  General  Scott, 
who  has  treated  them  with  great  kindness,  and  manifested  a  respect 
for  their  religion  and  their  customs,  from  which  very  beneficial  results 
will  no  doubt  be  experienced. 

No  prospect  of  Peace.— There  is  no  reason  however  to  believe 
that  the  victory  of  Sierra  Gordo  will  bring  us  any  nearer  to  a  peace 
than  we  were  before.  The  war  is  not  unpopular  with  the  mass  of  the 
Mexicans.  They  have  suffered  none  of  its  horrors.  Besides,  the 
controlling  spirits  of  the  country  keep  up  the  war  spirit,  knowing 
that  if  the  country  is  occupied  by  the  United  States,  they  will  lose 
their  offices  and  their  influence.  It  is  believed  by  General  Scott  and 
the  officers  with  him,  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  occupy  the  whole 
country.  This  he  thinks  can  be  easily  done.  With  twenty  thousand 
men  he  will  march  to  the  capital,  take  possession  of  the  government, 
disarm  the  people,  establish  a  Provisional  Government  under  the 
authority  of  the  United  States,  and  defray  its  expenses  from  the 
customs  and  mines,  the  chief  source  of  revenue  in  Mexico.  Without 
this  force  General  Scott  will  not  be  able  to  move  with  safety  to  his 
communications  beyond  Jalapa.  He  will  have  to  occupy  the  Orizaba 
road,  to  prevent  the  enemy  operating  against  his  rear  from  that 
position.  Having  arrived  in  the  Terra  Templada,  and  encamped 
in  a  perfectly  healthy  position,  he  will  no  doubt  wait  for  reinforce 
ments  before  he  pushes  farther  at  least  than  Perote,  the  next  point  of 
attack. 

A  letter  from  Colonel  Davenport,  governor  of  Matamoras,  dated 
June  6th,  1847,  ?ives  some  interesting  information  concerning  the 


318         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

nature  of  the  country,  and  the  leading  pursuits  of  the  inhabitants 
round  that  place.     The  following  are  extracts.* 

"  The  country  is  of  but  little  value  for  agricultural  purposes,  for 
lack  of  rain.  Irrigation  is  necessary  for  all  kinds  of  cultivation, 
and  it  may  be  well  doubted  whether  a  large  plantation  could  be 
advantageously  managed  in  this  way,  as  on  the  Mississippi,  where 
the  water  is  much  higher  than  the  land.  The  country  is  well 
adapted  to  grazing,  yet'  flocks  occasionally  suffer  much  for  water 
and  pasturage  in  dry  seasons.  These  however  are  large,  and  there 
are  always  enough  left  for  use.  They  trust  to  fortune  to  meet 
these  contingencies,  but  should  she  prove  a  little  more  fickle  tban 
she  is,  I  cannot  see  what  alternative  would  be  left,  short  of  fleeing 
the  country,  or  drawing  supplies  from  abroad,  which  I  apprehend 
but  few  could  afford  to  do.  The  herding  and  attendance  on  the 
flocks,  1  believe  to  be  the  chief  business  of  the  country,  and  the 
people  are  well  adapted  to  this  business.  Perhaps  one-fourth  of 
the  population  find  employment,  about  a  herding,  feudal  establish 
ment  ;  in  attending  flocks,  waiting  in  the  houses,  cultivating  on  a 
small  scale,  and  in  attending  their  master  on  his  journeys  as  escorts 
to  defend  him  against  robbers.  For  the  herding  business,  it  may 
be  imagined  a  settlement  in  a  crowded  neighborhood  would  not  be 
preferred.  The  Mexicans  choose  a  situation  as  other  people  would, 
adapted  to  the  occupation  they  have  in  view.  The  point  fixed, 
whatever  business  may  be  in  view,  a  small  store  is  added,  if  prac 
ticable,  as  a  valuable  auxiliary  to  the  undertaking ;  servants  are  of 
course  needed  to  carry  on  the  enterprise,  and  they  are  easily  pro 
cured  by  a  sort  of  civil  contract.  A  certain  class  of  the  Mexicans, 
who  have  no  aspirations  above  servitude,  go  in  debt  to  a  small 
amount,  perhaps  fifty  dollars,  in  the  store,  or  otherwise,  as  it  may 
happen,  and  go  to  work  it  out,  at,  say  four  dollars  per  month,  feeding 
and  clothing  themselves.  This  they  can  hardly  do  for  less  than  their 
wages  ;  they  therefore  never  pay  the  debt,  nor  regain  their  liberty. 
There  may  be  other  modes  for  making  slaves  in  this  country,  but 
they  have  not  been  sufficiently  defined  to  me  to  speak  of  them. 
The  cost  of  a  good  field  hand  in  one  of  our  southern  states,  would 
purchase  about  fifteen  of  these  peons,  or  servants  as  they  are  now 
*  This  letter  has  never  appeared  in  print. 


APPENDIX.  319 

commonly  called.  Slaves  other  than  these,  introduced  into  this 
country,  would  he  so  much  capital  sunk.  The  Wilmot  proviso  is 
altogether  needless.  Slavery,  like  the  currency,  is  regulated  much 
better  by  the  business  of  the  country,  than  by  legislation  ;  and  when 
labor  will  not  pay  the  cost  of  it,  then  it  will  hardly  be  found* 
The  chief  house  of  the  establishment  is  of  course  occupied  by  the 
conductor  of  the  concern,  surrounded  by  others  of  a  more  humble 
pretension,  in  which  reside  the  peons,  or  servants  as  they  are  more 
generally  called,  it  being  a  term  less  grating  to  the  ears,  [than  slaved] 
They  are  also  called  ranchcro,  the  establishment  being  a  rancho.  I 
need  not  tell  you  that  they  are  considered  a  great  set  of  rogues,  by 
those  who  know  them  best,  none  permitting  an  opportunity  to  plun 
der  to  escape  them,  not  excepting  their  own  people.  Education 
has  evidently  advanced  but  little  among  them.  The  number  who 
can  read  and  write  merely,  I  judge  to  be  much  less  than  the  num 
ber  which  have  not  reached  that  standard.  Their  governors  have 
but  little  interest  in  the  improvement  of  their  understandings.  In 
this  state  of  things  schools  cannot  easily  accomplish  the  object  of 
their  erection.  Speaking  no  language  but  their  own,  which  but 
few  read,  they  are  in  no  condition  to  be  improved  by  association 
with  foreigners,  who,  indeed,  being  adventurers,  have  less  motive 
in  instructing  them  than  their  rulers.  Scattered  as  they  are  over  a 
vast  region,  employed  in  pursuits  not  favorable  to  education,  it  may 
be  imagined  that  their  capacity  for  learning  has  hardly  been  tasked. 
In  the  same  condition,  I  believe,  any  other  people  would  be  equally 
benighted.  I  have  not  been  much  about,  but  I  have  supposed  their 
dwellings  in  the  interior,  not  much  unlike  those  in  the  skirts  of  this 
town,  which  will  not  lose  by  a  comparison  with  the  wigwams  you 
have  seen  on  the  Saint  Peter,  [Yt0£r.]j  Their  wants,  it  would 
seem,  have  not  much  increased  since  the  days  of  their  forefathers. 

Honesty  should  not  be  .expected  from  a  people  in  vassalage,  as 
these  are,  but  roguery  is  not  confined  to  this  order.  They  have 
long  been  without  any  fixed  government,  and  reason  with  them  is 
not  strong  enough  to  control  the  bad  passions.  Those  placed  in 
authority  rob  the  wealthy  upon  the  pretext  that  it  is  for  the  good 
of  the  nation,  and  upon  the  same  plea  I  suppose  the  system  is  car 
ried  to  the  lowest  order-  except  only  those  who  have  nothing  at  all. 


320 


LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


This  plan  plainly  paralyzes  every  motive  to  honest  enterprise,  and 
will  in  the  end,  beggar  every  people  who  pursue  it.  From  this 
condition  of  things  they  have  no  relief  short  of  a  strong  government, 
guarantied  to  prevent  its  overthrow,  which  will  be  faithful  to  the 
people,  and  have  no  object  in  its  measures  but  the  welfare  of  the 
nation.  Then  indeed  they  will  be  favored  beyond  every  nation, 
who  have  not  such  a  government. 


pronunciation  of  JS&cartcan 

To  the  general  reader,  the  long  foreign  names  which  form  part 
and  parcel  of  every  history  of  the  present  war,  are  a  source  of  no 
little  annoyance.  In  order  to  remedy  this  in  some  measure,  we 
copy  the  following  table  from  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  merely 
remarking  that  both  the  orthography  and  pronunciation  are  Mexi 
can  and  not  pure  Spanish,  it  being  remembered  that  all  the  Spanish 
colonies  have  corrupted  the  classic  pronunciation  of  the  mother 
tongue. 


Names. 

La  Resaca  de  la 

Palm  a 
Palo  Alto 
Santiago 
Rio  del  Norte 
Chapparra 
Chaparral 
Ranchero 

Rancho 

Hacienda 

Pelon 

Monterey 

Plaza 
Rinconado 


Pronunciation. 

Lah  Ray-sah'-kah 
daylah  Pal'-mah 
Pah-lo  Ahl'-to 
San-te-ah'-go 
Ree-o  del  Nor'-tay 
Chah-pahr'-rah 
Chan-pahr-rahl' 
Rahn-chay'-ro 

Rahn'-cho 

Hah-ce-en'-dha 

Pay-lone' 

Mon-ta-ray' 

Plah'-sah 
Rin-co-nah'-dho 


Definition. 

Surf  palm 
Tall  Tree 
St.  James 
North  River 
Small  bush 
Clump  of  bushes 
One  who  labor s  on 

a  rancho 
Small  farm 
Plantation 
(Greaser)  one  of 

the  rabble 
The  King  of  the 

mountain 
Public  square 
inside  corner 


\PPKi\DL\. 


321 


Names. 

Los  Muertos 
Saltillo 

Buena  Vista 
Las  Iticantadas 
China 
Estanque 

Agua 
Novia 


Agua  Nueva 

San  Luis  Potosi 

Lobos,  (Island) 

Cerralvo 

Sierra 

San  Juan  de  Ulua 

Vera  Cruz 

Alvarado 

Anton  Lizanlo 

Jala  pa 

Mexico 

Sacrificios 

Bonita 

La  Vega 

Ampudia 

Mejia 

Canales 

Paredes 

Gomez  Farias 


Pronunciation. 

Lolis  M  wer'-tohs 
Sawl-te'-yo 

Bwey'-na  Vees'-tah 
Lahs  In-can-tah'-dhas 
Chee'-nah 
Es-tahn'-ke 

Ag'-wah 
No'-vee-ah 


Ag'-wah  New-ay'-vah 

San  Lew-is'  Poto'-see 

Lo'-bus 

Sa-rehl'-vo 

See-er'-rah 

San   Whahn  da  Oo- 

loo'-ah 

Vay'-rah  Crooz 
Alvah-rah'-dho 
An-ton'  Lee-zar'-dho 
Hah-lah'-pah 
May-hec'-co 
Sac-ree-feese'-ohs 
Bo-nee'-tah 
Lay  Vay'-gah 
Am  poo'-dhe-ah 
May-hee'-ah 
Cah-nah'-les 
Pah-ray'-dhes 
Go'-mez  Fa-ree'-ass 


Definition. 

Land  of  the  dead 
Side  hill  or  fall  of 

table  land 
Pleasant  view 
Enchanted  ground 

Artificial  pond  of 

water 
Wafer 

Well,  (the  water  of 
which  is  drawn  out 
by  machinery} 
New  Water 

Wolf 
Mountain  ridge 


True  Cross 

Lizard  Point 
Jalap 

Place  of  Sacrifice 
Pretty 


41 


322  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


We  cannot  think  upon  the  fate  of  this  able  officer,  without  feelings 
of  the  most  painful  melancholy.  He  was  one  of  the  few  to  whom 
Nature  had  given  the  finest  talents,  the  noblest  traits  of  heart  and 
character.  His  gentlemanly  demeanor,  his  genuine  affection  for  all, 
his  fearlessness  in  danger,  and  his  great  learning  endeared  him  to  all. 

In  early  life  he  was  placed  at  school,  where  he  made  rapid  ad 
vances,  and  soon  entered  West  Point  Academy.  Here  he  was  spoken 
of  by  his  instructors  as  unrivalled  in  genius,  acquirements  and  high 
tone  of  moral  character.  At  seventeen  he  received  a  commission, 
and  was  employed  for  some  years  on  topographical  duty  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  and  in  Canada.  He  then  entered  as  adjutant  at  the 
school  of  practice,  under  General  Eustis,  and  gave  entire  satisfaction. 
Subsequently  he  became  aid  to  General  Brown,  and  was  employed 
by  government,  in  especial  duties,  during  the  performance  of  which 
he  prepared  some  papers,  which  were  so  much  admired  in  Congress, 
that  in  a  leading  speech  in  favor  of  the  Military  Academy,  he  was 
referred  to  as  an  instance  of  the  kind  of  men  that  the  system  of  that 
institution  could  produce. 

He  served  with  distinction  in  the  Seminole  War,  and  was  present 
at  the  battle  near  Lake  Monroe.  This  was  his  first  experience  of 
actual  war,  and  yet  he  was  praised  by  his  companions  and  officers, 
for  having  conducted  himself  like  a  veteran.  He  was  subsequently 
in  Rhode  Island,  his  native  state,  during  the  troubles  of  Governor 
Dorr,  at  which  time  he  performed  considerable  service  for  govern 
ment. 

At  Monterey  he  was  with  General  Worth's  division,  and  accom 
panied  the  troops  as  they  passed  so  long  under  fire  from  the  two 
heights,  in  the  storming  of  those  heights,  the  capture  of  the  palace, 
and  in  the  subsequent  street  assault,  where  the  soldiers  dug  through 
walls  of  houses,  amid  a  continual  pour  of  musketry  from  the  house 
tops.  In  the  storming  of  the  second  hill,  he  led  a  battalion  on  one 
side  of  the  hill,  while  Colonel  Childs  commanded  on  the  other,  and 
after  forcing  the  way  over  rocks  and  brambles,  amid  showers  of  balls, 
he  drove  the  enemy  from  the  top  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  forcing 
them  to  retreat  to  the  Bishop's  Palace. 


APPENDIX.  323 

The  part  he  enacted  in  the  capture  of  the  palace,  was  so  hrilliant 
that  we  subjoin  a  description  of  it  from  the  pen  of  an  officer,*  who 
served  under  him  at  the  time. 

44 1  found  him  in  command  of  the  advance,  and  he  then  told  me 
that  his  plan  was  to  try  to  draw  the  enemy  from  their  position  in 
and  near  the  palace,  and  when  they  were  fairly  out,  to  rise  and  charge 
them  vigorously,  and  if  possible,  to  get  possession  of  the  palace.  The 
advance  was  covered  as  much  as  possible  behind  the  rocks,  to  protect 
them  from  the  dreadful  shower  of  grape  and  musketry,  which  the 
enemy  kept  up  from  their  defences.  I  asked  him  if  we  should  advance 
or  fire.  He  told  me  that  I  might  advance  if  I  did  not  expose  my 
men  too  much,  and  that  he  wished  me  to  fall  back  whenever  I  saw 
the  enemy  coming  out,  until  we  were  upon  his  line  of  ambush,  and 
then  to  close  on  him  and  rush  on  them.  It  was  a  well  conceived 
plan,  and  the  result  showed  that  it  was  well  executed.  The  enemy 
were  induced  to  come  out  and  charge,  and  as  they  came  up  the  hill, 
Captain  Vinton  shouted,  *  Now  my  men,  close  and  drive  them.' 
They  closed  to  centre,  delivered  their  fire,  and  with  charged  bayonets 
rushed  on  the  Mexicans.  The  latter  were  thunderstruck,  and  after 
a  moment's  stand,  broke  and  fled.  Our  men  were  in  the  palace  and 
fort  before  they  all  escaped,  and  in  ten  minutes  their  own  guns  were 
turned  upon  them.  It  was  a  stirring,  thrilling  scene,  and  I  cannot 
do  it  justice,  for  it  should  have  been  seen,  to  be  felt.  Captain  Vinton 
derived  all  the  credit  which  his  position  enabled  him  to  obtain,  and 
I  shall  always  be  of  the  opinion  that  his  plan  was  an  admirable  one." 

After  some  time  spent  at  Monterey,  and  Saltillo,  Captain  Vinton 
was  ordered  with  the  greater  part  of  the  regulars  to  join  General  Scott 
in  the  attack  on  Vera  Cruz.  When  the  landing  took  place,  he  was 
among  those  of  the  first  line,  and  received  a  conspicuous  and  impor 
tant  command,  in  a  situation  which  greatly  exposed  him  to  the  ene 
my,  and  was  open  to  an  attack  at  any  moment.  When  the  batteries 
commenced  he  was  called  to  a  still  more  honorable  post — that  of  field 
and  commanding  officer,  in  the  line  batteries  and  trenches.  Towards 
evening  of  the  22d  of  March,  he  went  upon  an  exposed  situation  to 
watch  the  effect  of  his  shot,  and  the  direction  of  that  from  the  enemy. 

*  Captain  Blanehard. 


324  LIFE  OF   GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

After  remaining  there  for  some  time  he  came  down  and  said  to  Major 
Martin  Scott  who  commanded  the  covering  party,  *  Tell  the  officers, 
Major,  as  you  pass  the  mortars,  that  our  guns  are  working  accurately.' 
He  resumed  his  position,  and  almost  at  the  same  moment,  a  huge 
shell  glanced  from  the  side  of  the  parapet,  struck  his  head  and 
fractured  the  skull.  He  fell  dead  instantly,  and  lay  stretched  on  his 
back,  with  his  arms  folded  over  his  breast,  and  his  face,  as  an  officer 
writes,  who  was  present  *  retaining  its  habitual  expression,  sedate 
and  earnest,  but  not  harsh.'  As  he  fell  the  officers  and  men  rushed 
forward  and  gathered  about  him  ;  the  shell  was  charged  with  a  pound 
of  powder  and  three  hundred  and  twenty  musket  balls,  but  fortunately 
it  did  not  burst.  Upon  his  body  were  found  letters  from  his  children, 
stained  with  his  own  blood. 

Vinton  was  buried  in  the  military  coat  in  which  he  fell.  The 
funeral  was  attended  by  the  general-in-chief,  and  all  the  officers  who 
could  be  spared  from  duty,  and  the  church  service  was  read  over  him 
by  a  brother  officer — a  friend  of  many  years — amid  the  roar  of  cannon, 
the  falling  of  the  enemy's  shot,  and  the  whirling  of  sand  in  the  fierce 
norther — snatched  from  the  victory  of  the  morrow,  that  his  spirit 
might  gain  a  greater  victory  over  death  and  the  grave.  '  I  am  over 
whelmed  with  grief,'  says  an  officer  writing  on  this  subject.  *  My 
friend,  the  gallant,  accomplished  Vinton  is  no  more.  This  sudden 
dispensation  has  spread  a  deep  gloom  throughout  the  whole  army. 
I  have  been  for  several  hours  on  a  sand  hill,  in  a  crowd  of  perhaps 
a  hundred  officers,  who  were  uniting  their  voices  in  lamentation. 
Just  now,  at  General  Scott's  tent,  the  general  pronounced  to  a  large 
circle  of  his  staff,  a  most  eloquent  and  feeling  enlogium  upon  the 
deceased,  that  went  to  the  heart  of  every  listener.  He  spoke  of  his 
rare  talents  and  accomplishments,  and  high  soldiership,  as  placing 
him  in  the  front  rank  of  his  profession.  Before  leaving  Washington, 
the  general  recommended  him  for  the  appointment  of  Assistant 
Adjutant-General,  with  the  view  of  making  him  chief  of  his  staff  in 

the  field General  Scott  repeated,  this  evening,  that  the 

instantaneous  surrender  of  the  city  and  castle  would  not  assuage 
his  grief,  nor  compensate  the  country  for  the  loss  of  such  a  son." 

Congress  created  him  a  brevet  major,  for  his  services  at  Monte 
rey  ;  but  he  never  received  the  news  of  his  appointment. 


APPENDIX.  32f> 

Major  Vinton  was  one  of  the  most  learned  men  in  the  army. 
lie  graduated  at  West  Point,  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
from  a  college  in  New  England.  He  was  a  master  of  mathema 
tics  and  astronomy,  skilled  in  metaphysics,  and  the  Latin,  Greek, 
and  Hebrew  languages,  and  versed  in  his  own  profession.  On  most 
of  these  subjects  he  wrote  books,  which  received  the  commenda 
tion  of  high  authority.  But  his  favorite  study  was  theology.  It 
had  been  his  intention  to  enter  the  ministry,  and  night  after  night, 
amid  the  wilds  of  Florida,  while  others  were  asleep,  he  was 
wrapped  in  solitary  meditation,  or  in  communion  with  his  God. 
His  mind  was  of  a  most  deep  and  religious  cast ;  and  that  reve 
rence  which  he  had  imbibed  in  early  life,  for  holy  things,  never 
forsook  him  ;  and  his  conduct  exercised  a  most  salutary  influence 
upon  his  military  companions.  In  Florida,  his  mind  was  pecu 
liarly  exercised.  His  letters  of  that  period  are  full  of  doubts,  hopes, 
and  plannings  for  taking  holy  orders.  He  fears  that  his  health 
would  not  enable  him  to  follow  a  sedentary  life;  that  selfish  motives, 
the  ties  of  family  and  friends,  might  hinder  him  ;  he  doubts  his 
fitness,  and  frequently  examines  himself  in  the  most  thorough,  yet 
humble  manner. 

During  this  period  he  sent  for  his  Greek  and  Hebrew  books,  and 
often  prepared  outlines  of  sermons.  These  he  frequently  read  aloud 
among  the  rivers  and  forests  of  Florida. 

The  depth  and  tenderness  of  his  affections  are  rarely  surpassed. 
When  young  he  married  a  lady  of  distinguished  merit  and  beauty, 
who  died  early,  leaving  two  daughters  and  a  son,  who  are  still 
living.  In  his  relations,  as  a  father  and  husband,  he  was  sensitive 
to  every  impression,  and  gave  and  received  exquisite  pleasure  in 
the  interchanges  of  affection  and  esteem.  In  one  letter  we  find  an 
earnest  plea  for  the  paternal  affection,  in  answer  to  the  suggestion 
that  it  might  interfere  with  the  love  and  duty  that  we  owe  to  the 
Most  High.  He  speaks  from  the  heart,  and  will  not  permit  the 
natural  affections  to  be  severed  from  religion,  and  set  over  against 
the  love  of  God.  He  corresponded  regularly  with  each  of  his  chil 
dren,  giving  them  affectionate  advice  often  upon  the  holiest  and  most 
sublime  topics.  Amid  the  rude  furniture  of  a  soldier,  when  sur 
rounded  by  armed  men,  some  of  thorn  the  coarsest  developements 


326  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

of  life,  he  wrote  a  beautiful  essay  on  the  presence  and  agency  of  the 
spirits  of  departed  friends,  in  which  he  gives  his  views  of  the  sub 
ject,  on  scriptural  grounds,  and  upon  reasons  drawn  from  natural 
reason  and  philosophy.  A  letter  to  his  daughter  contains  some 
valuable  hints  on  the  choice  of  school  companions  ;  and  a  second 
one  to  the  same,  written  the  night  before  the  commencement  of  the 
siege  of  Monterey,  shows  a  spirit  of  preparation  for  the  duties 
and  chances  of  the  morrow,  which  could  not  but  insure  him  suc 
cess. 

Such  was  Major  Vinton.  It  is  melancholy  to  contemplate  his 
death.  How  much  might  the  mind  and  talents  of  such  a  one,  under 
proper  opportunities,  have  done  for  his  fellow  men  ;  yet  in  a  mo 
ment,  before  conscious  of  the  presence  of  the  destroyer,  he  was 
hurried  from  his  companions,  to  where  all  distinctions  are  lost. 
Dreadful  as  is  the  shaft  of  war  at  all  times,  how  still  more  dreadful 
is  it,  when  the  victim  is  the  gifted,  the  virtuous,  and  the  honorable. 


&U**B*jJ  Qffidal  Report  of  tj&e 
to 


TAMPICO,  MEXICO,  July  18,  1847. 

SIR:  —  Tn  obedience  to  your  special  order  No.  41,  dated  7th  July, 
directing  me  to  call  upon  General  Garay,  of  the  Mexican  army,  sta 
tioned  at  Waughutla  (Huejutla),  and  claim  from  him  certain  pri-_ 
soners  of  war,  who  in  your  judgment,  and  for  reasons  which  you 
authorized  me  to  suggest,  should  be  entitled  to  liberation  ;  and  in 
case  of  his  compliance,  to  bring  back  said  prisoners  to  Tampico  ; 
I  proceeded  with  an  escort  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  men,  in 
its  execution.  My  force  was  composed  of  Wyse's  company  third 
artillery,  thirty-four  men,  with  one  field  piece  ;  Boyd's  company 
cavalry,  thirty-five  men  ;  a  detachment  of  my  own  regiment  of  forty- 
four  men,  commanded  by  Captains  Mace  and  Seguine,  and  eleven 
men  of  the  volunteer  company  of  Tampico  rangers.  The  officers 
assigned  to  these  troops  were  Captains  Wyse,  third  artillery  ;  Boyd, 
cavalry  ;  Mace  and  Seguine,  Louisiana  volunteers,  with  Lieutenants 
Taneyhill,  cavalry,  Lindenberger,  Campbell  and  Heimberger,  Lou}- 


APPENDIX.  327 

pinna  volunteers  ;  the  first  of  these  acting  adjutant  for  the  command, 
the  two  latter  as  company  officers  to  Captains  Mace  and  Seguine, 
and  Lieutenant  Wells,  commanding  the  rangers.  There  was  also 
with  the  party  Sergeant  Singleton,  of  Louisiana  company,  acting 
sergeant-major,  and  Mr.  Pemberton,  an  amateur  volunteer.  I  left 
this  place  with  my  command  on  the  morning  of  the  8th  instant,  and 
reached  the  town  of  Asulwama  on  the  9th,  which  I  learned  was 
within  the  district  commanded  by  General  Garay.  Here  I  inquired 
for  any  military  officer  to  whom  1  might  communicate  the  purpose 
of  my  mission  ;  I  was  informed  by  the  alcalde  (or  chief  magistrate) 
that  none  were  there.  I  applied  to  this  functionary  for  corn  and 
other  necessaries,  which  were  supplied  cheerfully,  and  informed  him 
that  my  tour,  although  accompanied  by  a  military  escort,  was  not 
in  hostility,  but  to  claim  of  the  commandant  general  some  American 
prisoners  in  his  custody,  by  the  orders  of  Colonel  Gates,  com 
manding  in  Tampico,  ami  which  I  trusted  would  be  turned  over  to 
me,  for  reasons  which  I  should  explain.  Thence  I  continued  my 
journey  to  the  next  town  upon  the  route  to  General  Garay's  head 
quarters,  called  Tantayuka,  (Tantoyuca,)  which  we  reached  on  the 
llth.  Here  also,  I  was  furnished  by  the  alcalde  with  corn,  beef, 
<fec.  ;  again  communicated  the  character  and  purposes  of  my  mis 
sion  ;  and  again  inquired,  to  no  purpose,  for  any  military  officer 
with  whom  1  might  communicate,  and  who  might  accompany  me 
to  the  general's  head-quarters  at  Waughutla,  now  distant  about 
twenty-five  miles.  While  here  I  perceived  indications  of  uneasiness 
producing  some  apprehension  that,  notwithstanding  my  assurances 
of  the  pacific  nature  of  my  visit,  formidable  preparations  of  defence 
were  being  arranged  before  me ;  but  I  could  not  suspect  to  meet 
these  short  of  the  town  occupied  by  the  commanding  general,  at 
the  approach  to  which  1  relied  upon  the  white  flag,  (or  sooner  should 
I  meet  any  one  to  whom  1  might  show  it,)  to  make  all  right  and 
safe.  On  next  morning  early,  we  moved  towards  Waughutla,  Cap 
tain  Boyd  and  his  company  being  now  the  advanced  guard,  with 
orders  not  to  be  more  than  two  hundred  yards  before  us.  Having 
reached  a  point  eight  miles  from  our  last  camp  at  Tantayuka,  and 
about  one  mile  from  the  river  Calaboso,  we  met  a  Mexican  Indian 
whom  we  interrogated  in  reference  to  the  road,  &c.  From  this 


328  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

man  we  learned  that  the  Mexicans  had  made  an  ambuscade  at 
the  river,  that  Geneial  Garay  was  there  himself  with  a  large  force, 
and  that  it  was  intended  to  attack  us  there.  I  immediately 
despatched  the  adjutant  and  sergeant-major  to  order  Captain  Pioy-i 
to  fall  back  to  the  main  body ;  it  was  too  late ;  they  had  no  sooner 
started  to  communicate  the  order  before  a  heavy  discharge  of  mus 
ketry  was  heard,  and  many  single  shots  after ;  we  hastened  to  the 
river;  Captain  Boyd,  with  six  of  his  men,  had  fallen,  and  the 
remainder  of  his  company  had  dispersed  or  fled  back  to  us.  As  I 
reached  the  ground  I  perceived  the  enemy  had  cleared  away  the 
ground  of  all  bushes  for  the  space  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
on  either  side  the  road,  leaving  beyond  that  a  dense  hedge  of  chap- 
paral,  in  the  rear  of  which  had  been  constructed  a  fence  to  prevent 
charges  of  cavalry ;  in  front,  upon  the  opposite  bank,  was  their  main 
body,  also  protected  in  their  front  by  thick  chapparal. 

A  charge  was  instantly  made  upon  the  right  by  Captain  Mace 
and  his  men,  another  upon  the  left  by  Captain  Seguine  and  his  men, 
and  the  field  piece  protected  by  Captain  Wyse's  company  was  or 
dered  forward  to  scour  the  ground  upon  the  opposite  bank.  These 
movements  were  nearly  simultaneous,  and  were  gallantly  performed; 
at  the  first  discharge  the  enemy  were  driven  from  the  left,  two 
charges  upon  the  right  also  dislodged  him  from  their  right  and  com 
pelled  him  to  unite  in  one  mass  upon  the  opposite  bank.  In  this 
position  the  battle  continued  for  a  full  hour,  Captain  Wyse  gallantly 
serving  his  piece,  and  being  during  the  whole  of  the  engagement  ex 
posed  to  the  destructive  fire  from  the  enemy,  directly  in  his  front, 
so  well  concealed  and  protected  by  the  thick  undergrowth,  as  but 
seldom  to  be  sufficiently  seen  to  be  fired  upon  with  any  perfect 
precision.  There  were  wounded  during  the  service  of  this  piece, 
six  men  of  its  squad.  Finally,  the  enemy  sounded  their  trumpet, 
whether  for  a  retreat  or  a  charge,  I  do  not  know ;  there  was  at  all 
events  a  cessation  of  their  fire  ;  at  that  moment  Captain  Wyse  de 
livered  a  discharge  of  canister  so  fortunately  aimed  as  for  a  time 
entirely  to  paralyze  their  further  action.  I  took  this  opportunity  to 
examine  our  condition  ;  we  had  now  exhausted  all  our  field  piece 
cartridges  but  three.  The  road  to  Waughutla  lay  along  a  gorge 
between  steep  aeclivUios.  The  prisoners  \ve  knew  had  been  removed 


APPENDIX.  32U 

from  the  town ;  our  rear  and  flanks  were  now  attacked  by  multi 
tudes  of  the  men  of  the  towns  left  behind  us  on  our  advance,  who 
had  already  come  so  near  us  as  to  take  from  us  all  our  mules,  packed 
with  every  thing  we  had,  in  provisions,  money  and  clothing.  There 
seemed  hut  one  way  to  make  our  return  possible  ;  it  was  to  regain, 
if  possible,  the  position  we  had  occupied  in  Tantayuka.  I  imme 
diately  ordered  a  retrograde;  we  turned  and  retraced  our  steps; 
immediately  there  fell  upon  our  flunks  and  rear  large  bodies  of  the 
enemy,  at  such  distance  however  as  to  make  their  efforts  but  slightly 
efficient.  At  every  opportunity  to  reach  them,  our  rear,  commanded 
by  Captain  Mace,  delivered  their  discharge  of  musketry,  generally, 
most  fatal  to  our  pursuers.  Whilst  ascending  a  hill  in  the  road, 
about  one  mile  from  Tantayuka,  a  very  spirited  resistance  was  made 
by  the  enemy  stationed  on  the  summit,  but  they  were  soon  driven 
forward  and  dispersed  by  as  many  of  Captain  Wyse's  men  as  could 
be  spared  from  the  piece,  who  were  in  the  advance  acting  as  light 
infantry.  At  this  critical  moment  the  piece  was  made  again  to  play 
a  very  important  part  in  the  safety  of  our  retreat,  for  it  had  scarcely 
reached  the  summit  of  this  hill  before  the  enemy  came  rushing  on 
our  rear,  driving  in  the  rear  guard,  pack  mules  and  every  thing  else 
in  confusion  around  the  gun,  but  Captain  Wyse  promptly  unlim- 
bered,  sighted  and  elevated  his  gun  himself,  and  when  within  short 
musket  shot  he  touched  her  off,  sending  death  and  confusion  into  the 
column  of  the  advancing  enemy,  and  before  they  could  recover  from 
this  shock,  he  gave  them  another  well  aimed  discharge  of  canister, 
which  effectually  prevented  further  attack  from  the  rear.  In  this 
manner  we  advanced  nine  miles  back  to  Tantayuka — the  whole 
ground  being  one  continued  fight.  When  arrived  at  that  town  we 
found  an  organized  force  there  to  oppose  us.  Captain  Seguine,  then 
in  advance,  was  ordered  to  prepare  his  men  for  a  charge,  and  Captain 
Wyse  advancing  his  piece  to  a  favorable  position,  discharged  upon 
our  opposers  one  of  our  last  charges  of  canister,  and  immediately 
thereon  the  charge  was  made ;  the  enemy  fled  and  dispersed  in  all 
directions. 

We  gained  the  town  and  immediately  crossed  it  to  a  favorite 
mound  overlooking  and  entirely  commanding  it.  Thus,  masters  here, 
we  had  leisure  to  rest  and  restore  our  condition  to  better  capabilities 

42 


330  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

of  defence ;  men  were  despatched  to  the  stores  in  the  town  to  pro 
cure  powder  and  ball ;  from  which  a  number  of  cartridges  were 
prepared,  using  champaign  bottles  half  filled  with  balls,  with  the 
remaining  space  packed  with  earth,  a  substitute  for  tin  cylinders.  Other 
munitions  were  also  inspected  and  equally  distributed.  These  pre 
parations  being  complete,  we  had  nine  or  ten  good  canister  charges 
and  an  average  of  nine  musket  cartridges  per  man.  During  this 
afternoon  I  found  the  men  were  coining  to  camp,  some  of  them 
richly  laden  with  spoils  of  all  kinds  from  the  shops  and  priva '(>, 
houses;  and  although  I  had  not  authorized  it,  I  did  not  regret  so  just 
a  retribution  for  the  hypocrisy  and  treachery  of  people  who,  after 
affecting  kindness  and  hospitality  as  we  left  them  in  the  morning, 
had  subsequently  fallen  upon  to  annihilate  us,  and  had  despoiled  us 
of  about  ninety  mules  and  all  our  private  baggage  and  provisions. 

While  here  we  perceived  the  enemy  passing  round  us  from  all 
directions,  and  moving  to  some  point  upon  the  road  by  which  we 
had  come  from  Asulwama.  We  remembered  a  most  favorable  place 
we  had  passed,  for  any  purpose  of  ambuscade,  called  Monte  Grande, 
at  which  Captain  Wyse  had  been  obliged  to  dismount  his  piece,  and 
rightly  conjectured  it  was  intended  to  strike  us  there  ;  we  determined, 
therefore,  to  take  any  other  road  for  return,  if  any  there  was,  and  on 
leaving  our  position  at  night,  the  road  by  Panuco  was  selected  by 
which  to  attempt  to  retreat.  These  arrangements  being  adopted,  we 
were  called  upon  at  nine  o'clock  at  night  by  a  flag  bearing  to  me  a 
letter  from  General  Garay.  I  informed  the  two  officers  who  bore  it 
that  I  did  not  wish  to  appear  disrespectful  to  General  Garay,  but  that 
I  had  neither  lights  nor  conveniences  for  writing  in  the  camp — that 
therefore,  if  they  knew  the  purport  of  the  note  and  would  commu 
nicate  it,  I  would  send  by  them  the  reply.  They  said  it  was  a 
demand  for  honorable  capitulation.  I  answered  that  there  was  no 
possibility  of  any  such  result ;  that  I  felt  strong  in  my  position,  and 
able  to  move  when  and  where  I  pleased.  I  then  complained  in  strong 
terms,  of  the  attack  upon  my  command — more  like  assassination  than 
any  thing  else — stating  that  I  had  repeatedly  explained  to  the  alcaldes 
of  the  towns  within  the  district  commanded  by  General  Garay, 
the  friendly  character  of  my  tour,  and  had  diligently  sought  to  see 
an  officer  of  his  command  for  an  explanation  and  escort  to  him.  I 


APPENDIX  331 

understood  that  these  officers  expressed  regret,  saying  that  it  was 
attributed  to  information  received  from  Tampico  by  their  general  that 
1  was  coming  to  take  away  the  prisoners  by  force,  adding  that  it  was 
probable  the  general  would  like  to  see  and  converse  with  me.  I 
appointed  ten  o'clock  as  the  hour  1  would  see  General  Garay,  and  it 
was  agreed  that  Captain  Wyse  would  meet  the  general  at  that  lime 
upon  the  plaza,  and  bring  them  to  me  or  assign  a  place  for  our  meet 
ing.  Captain  Wyse  repaired  at  the  time  fixed  to  the  place  appointed, 
and  waited  until  near  twelve  o'clock,  when  he  returned  to  give  the 
information  that  they  had  failed  to  meet  him.  We  immediately 
prepared  to  depart,  and  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  1 3th  we 
left  camp,  during  a  rain,  and  gained  the  Panuco  road.  It  was  not 
until  nine  or  ten  o'clock  of  that  day  that  the  enemy,  having  ascer 
tained  our  retreat,  were  again  down  upon  our  flanks  and  rear ;  we 
managed,  however,  to  keep  him  at  bay,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion 
he  was  made  to  pay  the  cost  of  his  temerity,  when  approaching 
within  musket  or  can non  range.  We  were  thus  pursued  for  a  distance 
of  fifty  miles,  after  we  left  Tantayuka,  but  always  at  the  cost  of  the 
enemy,  many  of  whom  were  destroyed  in  their  pursuit. 

In  the  engagement  at  the  river,  which  is  called  the  Calaboso,  we 
sustained  the  following  loss,  viz  : 

Boy(Vs  Company. — Captain  Boyd,  killed  ;  Lieutenant  Toneyhill, 
mortally  wounded ;  Sergeant  Barker,  killed  ;  Corporal  Bruner,  killed  ; 
privates  Tubiff,  Brown,  Mullican  and  Burke,  killed,  and  privates 
Luxton,  Wilson  and  O'llara,  slightly  wounded. 

Wystfs  Company. — Private  Allen,  mortally  wounded,  and  five 
privates  slightly  wounded. 

Non- Commissioned  Staff. — Principal  musician  Rose,  missing. 

Louisiana  Volunteers. — Lieutenant  Heimberger,  severely  wound 
ed  ;  G.  Schmidt,  G.  Colson,  G.  Zeller,  John  Brown  and  L.  Scott, 
killed;  L.  Dnrnan,  mortally  wounded;  L.  Davis  and  L.  Lambino, 
missing  ; Ogg,  slightly  wounded. 

Having  no  surgeon  or  means  of  transportation,  Lieutenant  Toney 
hill  and  two  privates,  all  mortally  wounded,  with  a  man  as  nurse, 
were  lefi  at  the  house  of  the  alcalde  in  Tantayuka,  with  a  letter  to 
that  functionary,  demanding  for  these  unfortunate  men  the  common 
rights  of  humanity  ;  and  also  in  the  conversation  with  the  bearers  of 


332  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

General  Garay's  flag  the  disposal  made  of  these  wounded  was 
mentioned,  and  it  was  promised  they  should  be  cared  for. 

For  the  conduct  of  every  man  composing  my  command,  I  have 
praise  to  betow.  There  were  instances,  however,  of  extraordinary 
gallantry.  Captain  Wyse  during  the  engagement  at  Calaboso  river, 
acted  with  that  steady  courage  and  gallantry,  constituting  the  highest 
grade  of  military  character,  being  constantly  under  the  direct  fire  ol 
the  enemy.  His  indefatigable  services  and  endurance,  during  the 
two  subsequent  days  of  skirmishing  by  day  and  watching  by  night, 
are  also  gratefully  remembered  by  me,  and  entitle  him  to  our 
highest  commendation. 

Captains  Mace  and  Seguine,  of  the  Louisiana  regiment  of  volun 
teers,  are  brave  men,  and  excellent  soldiers. — They  charged  the 
enemy  most  gallantly  at  the  river  engagement,  and  in  entering 
Tantayuka.  Their  exertions  and  services  were  constant  and  untiring, 
from  the  morning  of  the  12th  until  the  night  of  the  14th.  Lieutenant 
Toneyhill  may  possible  survive  his  wound.  It  is  but  justice  to  say, 
that  his  conduct  was  admirable,  and  deserving  the  highest  compli 
ments.  Lieutenant  Heimberger  is  also  entitled  to  my  most  compli 
mentary  notice.  After  being  severely  wounded,  and  suffering  with 
consequent  fever,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  report  for  duty  when  the 
enemy  appeared,  and  when  it  was  thought  hard  fighting  was  our 
only  resource.  Lieutenants  Lindenberger  and  Campbell  acted  with 
gallantry  and  zeal  whenever  an  opportunity  presented.  Mr.  Aldridge, 
who  as  proprietor  of  the  mules  engaged  as  packs,  was  with  us, 
rendered  most  essential  and  gallant  service,  being  forward  and  active 
in  every  charge  made  upon  the  enemy.  Mr.  Lafler,  one  of  the 
Tampico  Rangers,  rendered  very  important  service  in  coming  with 
the  express  to  Tarnpico  by  night,  when  I  thought  myself  so  sur 
rounded  as  to  be  in  the  greatest  doubts  whether  there  was  any 
possibility  of  escape  without  succor.  Mr.  Pemberton,  a  gentleman 
who  accompanied  us  as  an  amateur,  also  rendered  essential  and 
gallant  services.  The  small  detachment  of  Tampico  Rangers,  armed 
as  they  were  merely  as  cavalry,  could  not  be  so  advantageously 
employed  as  the  other  troops  ;  they  were,  however,  generally  ready 
and  willing  to  discharge  such  duties  as  they  were  called  on  for. 

Among  the  non-commissioned  officers  of  my  command,  I  have  to 


APPENDIX.  333 

notice  the  acting  Sergeant-Major  Singleton,  of  the  Louisiana  regi 
ment,  who  on  several  occasions  distinguished  himself  as  a  brave  and 
gallant  soldier ;  he  had  a  horse  shot  under  him. 

Another  was  the  sergeant  in  charge  of  Captain  Wyse's  gun,  who 
with  as  gallant  a  gun  squad  as  ever  served  a  piece,  bore  the  brunt  of 
the  action  on  the  river  bank.  The  names  of  these  brave  men  have 
escaped  my  memory.  I  will  procure  and  hand  them  to  you. 

There  were  also  Sergeants  Moore,  Woodey  and  Townsend,  of 
the  Louisiana  regiment,  all  of  whom  are  entitled  to  honorable 
mention. 

I  have  omitted  to  state  the  force  of  the  enemy  engaged  against 
us,  and  the  probable  number  of  their  loss.  Their  strength  must 
have  been  near  fifteen  hundred.  And  although  we  were  not  actually 
engaged  at  any  one  time  against  their  whole  force,  yet  we  were  com 
pelled  to  meet  them  all  in  turn.  I  have  learned  from  Mexican  men, 
who  saw  the  battle  ground  at  Calaboso,  just  before  the  engagement, 
that  there  were  three  hundred  within  the  ambuscades  upon  this  side 
the  river,  and  five  hundred  upon  the  opposite  bank,  commanded  by 
General  Garay  himself;  and  there  was  probably  as  many  more  upon 
our  flanks  and  rear  the  following  days,  while  in  retreat.  Their  loss 
is  estimated  at  two  hundred,  as  well  from  statements  of  their  own 
people,  as  from  what  we  saw. 

In  closing  this  report,  which  I  fear  may  already  be  too  long,  I  must 
beg  to  remark  that  for  our  return  we  are  indebted  chiefly  to  the 
field-piece  taken  out  by  Captain  Wyse's  company,  and  so  well 
managed  by  that  excellent  officer  and  his  brave  men.  It  is  an  arm, 
as  yet  but  insufficiently  appreciated,  but  of  which  the  vast  importance 
and  usefulness  must  be  developed  by  experience.  In  any  expedition 
such  as  that  from  which  I  have  just  returned,  I  estimate  one  field- 
piece,  well  supplied  and  well  managed,  as  equivalent  to  one  hundred 
muskets,  and  perhaps  more  in  defence. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

L.  G.  DE  RUSSY,  Col.  La.  Reg.  Volunteers. 

To  Col.  WILLIAM  GATES,  Commanding  Department  Tampico. 


334  LIFE   OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

^Document*  Uun®  on   t$t  battle  $i$U  of 


(Originally  published  in  the  Troy  Whig.) 

We  feel  assured  that  we  cannot  do  a  more  acceptable  service  to  our 
readers,  than  to  present  them  with  the  following  highly  interesting 
documents.  We  are  kindly  permitted  this  privilege  by  the  family 
of  our  gallant  townsman,  General  Wool.  It  will  be  seen  by  the  cer 
tificates  to  each,  that  the  originals  were  found  in  manuscript  on  the 
battle  field  of  Buena  Vista,  during  the  sanguinary  and  decisive  struggle 
of  the  23d  of  February  last,  and  were  among  the  trophies  of  that 
glorious  day.  They  have  been  literally  translated  from  the  Spanish 
by  Captain  Davis,  assistant  quartermaster  general,  attached  to  General 
Wool's  staff,  and  have  never  before  been  published.  To  us  they 
have  a  peculiar  interest,  as  contributing  more  than  anything  hitherto 
from  the  press  has  done,  to  a  knowledge  of  the  true  character  of 
the  Mexican  army,  and  its  distinguished  commander,  against  which 
our  indomitable  and  victorious  band  of  less  than  one-fourth  its 
number,  had  to  contend. 

That  army  has  not  been  fully  understood,  and  its  prowess  too 
lightly  regarded.  It  was  composed  of  the  flower  of  the  Mexican 
forces,  had  been  long  and  carefully  drilled  under  the  personal 
inspection  of  the  President  General,  and  was  in  all  respects  better 
provided  and  equipped,  and  more  perfectly  prepared,  than  any  that 
country  has  before  furnished.  These  documents  show  General  Santa 
Anna  to  be  of  a  much  higher  order  of  military  science  and  skill,  than 
our  fellow-citizens  generally  accorded  to  him.  That  he  has  had 
great  experience,  we  all  know.  The  physical  courage  and  bravery 
of  the  Mexican  troops  cannot  be  doubted,  whatever  may  be  said  of 
their  General-in-chief,  in  this  respect.  This  army  was  officered  by 
the  elite  of  the  Mexican  nation,  and  embraced,  as  it  will  be  seen, 
twenty-four  general  officers. 

When  we  consider  the  vast  odds  against  which  our  brave 
countrymen  had  to  contend,  the  immense  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
to  which  they  were  subjected,  the  result  seems  little  less  than 
marvellous.  —  To  have  saved  themselves  from  utter  annihilation, 
under  all  circumstances,  would  have  covered  our  arms  with  glory. 
But  when  we  look  at  its  results,  and  see  that  though  the  Mexican 


APPENDIX.  335 

army  was  not  captured,  yet  that  it  was  effectually  dispersed,  and  in 
a  great  measure  disbanded ;  that  the  Mexican  power  was  entirely 
subdued,  and  the  undisputed  possession  of  her  northern  provinces 
secured  to  our  arms,  the  recital  must  cause  the  bosom  of  every 
American  to  glow  with  patriot  pride.  History  nowhere  records  a 
harder  fought  battle,  nor  a  more  brilliant  victory.  Hereafter  the 
highest  aspirations  of  military  fame  will  be  fulfilled  when  it  shall  be 
said  of  any  fellow-citizen,  he  was  at  Buena  Vista. 

The  following  proclamation  was  issued  on  the  28th  January, 
1 847,  and  ordered  to  be  read  at  the  head  of  each  regiment,  and  a 
copy  was  ordered  to  be  printed  for  the  use  of  each  company. 

His  Excellency,  the    General-in-chief  of  the  Army  of  Operations  of  the 
North,  to  all  under  his  command: — 

Companions  in  Arms  !  The  operations  of  the  enemy  require  of 
us  to  move  precipitately  on  their  principal  line — and  we  are  about  to 
do  it.  The  independence,  the  honor,  and  destinies  of  the  nation 
depend  in  this  movement  on  your  decision.  Soldiers !  the  entire 
world  is  observing  us,  and  it  is  obligatory  on  you,  that  your  deeds 
should  be  as  heroic  as  they  are  necessary,  from  the  neglect  and 
abandonment  with  which  you  have  been  treated  by  those  whose 
duty  it  is  to  succor  you — privations  of  all  kinds  await  you.  But 
when  has  want  or  penury  weakened  your  '  spirit  or  debilitated 
enthusiasm  ?  The  Mexican  soldier  is  well  known  for  his  frugality, 
and  for  his  capability  of  sufferance  ;  never  does  he  need  magazines 
of  provisions,  when  about  to  pass  the  deserts  ;  but  he  has  always 
had  an  eye  to  the  resources  and  supplies  of  his  enemy,  to  minister 
to  his  own  wants. 

To-day  you  commence  your  march  through  a  thinly  settled 
country,  without  supplies  and  without  provisions ;  but  you  may  be 
assured  that  very  quickly  you  will  be  in  possession  of  those  of  your 
enemy,  and  of  their  riches,  and  with  them  all  your  wants  will  be 
superabundantly  remedied. 

My  friends,  we  are  about  to  open  the  campaign  ;  and  who  can 
tell  us  how  many  days  of  glory  await  us.  What  a  perspective  !  So 
full  of  hope  for  our  country.  What  satisfaction  will  you  feel  when 
you  contemplate  you  have  saved  our  independence,  that  you  are  the 
object  of  admiration  to  the  whole  world,  and  that  our  country  will 


336  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

shower  down  blessings  on  your  heads.  Oh !  when  again  in  the 
bosoms  of  your  families,  you  shall  relate  your  dangers,  and  hardships 
suffered,  your  combats  and  triumphs  over  your  daring  presumptous 
foe.  When  you  tell  your  children  that  you  have  given  them  their 
country  the  second  time,  your  jubilee  will  be  complete,  and  how 
insignificant  will  your  sacrifices  appear. 

Soldiers  !  trust  confidingly  in  the  destiny  of  our  country — the 
cause  we  sustain  is  holy  !  Never  have  we  gone  to  the  conflict 
with  so  much  justice — for  we  are  defending  the  home  of  our  fore 
fathers  and  of  our  posterity,  our  honor,  our  holy  religion,  our  wives, 
our  children  !  What  sacrifice  is  too  great  for  objects  so  dear  ?  Let 
our  motto  be  "to  conquer  or  to  die."  Let  us  swear  before  the 
Eternal  that  you  will  not  rest  one  instant  until  we  completely  wipe 
away  from  our  soil  the  vain-glorious  foreigner,  who  has  dared  to 
pollute  it  with  his  presence.  No  terms  with  him — nothing  for  us 
but  heroism  and  grandeur. 

Head-quarters,  in  San  Luis  Potosi,  Jan,  27th,  1847. 

ANTONIO  LOPEZ  DE  SANTA  ANNA. 

By  order  of  his  Excellency. 

MlCHELTORENA. 

The  following  is  a  correct  list  of  Generals  in  the  field  : — 
Antonio  Lopez  de  Santa  Anna,  President,  General-in-Chief;  Don 
Manuel  Alvarez,  General-in-Chief  of  all  the  Cavalry  ;  Lombardini, 
Commander-in-Chief  of  Infantry  ;  Don  Antonio  Requena,  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  Artillery;  Ignacio  Mora,  General-in-Chief  of 
Engineers;  Micheltorena,  Chief  of  the  General  Staff;  Vasquez, 
Minon,  (detached,)  Mejia,  Torrejon,  Jaurequi,  Don  Nicholas  Flores, 
Ampudia,  Rafael  Pacheco,  Perez,  Juvera,  Jose  NaGarcia,  Mora, 
Quintamar,  Ortega,  Manuel  Romero. 

GENERAL  ORDERS,  January  28th,  1847. 

Officer  in  Chief  of  the  Day : — Lieutenant-Colonel  DON  MANUEL  ROMERO. 
Head-quarters,  First  Brigade. 

ORDER  OF  MARCH  OF  THE  ARMY. 

By  general  order,  the  General-in-Chief  commands  that  the  bag 
gage  shall  not  be  carried  with  the  army  ;  nor  shall  the  soldiers  take 
their  knapsacks,  but  shall  wear  their  dress  of  Russia  duck,  and 


APPENDIX.  337 

over  their  suit  of  cloth  ;  they  shall  only  take  two  shirts,  four  rounds 
of  cartridges  and  two  flints,  including  the  one  in  the  guns ;  they 
shall  carry  nothing  except  their  cooking  utensils.  All  the  officers, 
and  other  persons,  shall  march  in  their  places,  and  when  bivouacking, 
shall  sleep  at  the  heads  of  their  respective  commands. 

On  Thursday,  the  28th,  the  fifth  brigade  of  infantry  under  the 
command  of  Don  Francisco  Pacheco,  will  commence  its  march, 
sending  ahead  always  the  evening  previous  an  officer  to  procure 
lodgings  and  preparations  for  the  troops. 

On  Friday,  29th,  the  first  and  second  brigades  will  march  out  in 
the  same  manner,  under  the  orders  of  Rafael  Don  Garcia  Conde. 
These  brigades  will  be  considered  as  united  until  further  orders,  and 
consequently  all  the  infantry  is  placed  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral-of- Brigade,  Don  iMantiel  Maria  Lombardini. 

On  Saturday,  30th,  the  fourth  and  sixth  brigades  will  march 
in  like  manner  under  the  command  of  Brigadier-General  Don  Luis 
Guzman. 

On  the  27th  the  following  pieces  of  artillery  will  march : — 
Three  24s,  three  16s,  five  12s,  and  eight  8  pounders,  and  one  how 
itzer,  with  ammunition  corresponding  to  each,  and  also  the  platforms 
for  the  large  pieces,  500  boxes  of  musket  ammunition,  12,000  flints, 
and  two  remainder  of  the  canister  and  grape  of  the  three  pieces, 
which  were  in  Tula — all  of  which  will  be  placed  in  the  twenty-one 
wagons  contracted  for ;  and  what  remains  on  450  mules,  which  the 
chief  of  the  staff  will  order  to  be  delivered  to  the  commanding 
officer  of  artillery.  The  ammunition  of  the  pieces  above  expressed 
will  be  escorted  by  themselves  and  by  the  company  of  sappers  and 
miners  who  belong  to  the  regiment  of  engineers  ;  and  by  the  artil 
lerists  of  the  light  brigade,  who  will  take  with  them  all  the  implements 
necessary  for  sapping  and  mining,  in  the  wagons  which  the  sappers 
have  ;  the  jacks  for  filling  with  earth  will  be  carried  on  mules,  which 
will  be  furnished  by  the  chief  of  the  staff". 

The  medical  staff  having  left,  in  the  hospital  of  the  city,  four 
junior  surgeons,  and  only  the  necessaries  for  their  service,  all  the 
rest  will  march,  apportioned  among  the  different  brigades  under  the 
orders  of  the  medical  inspector  general,  with  all  their  medicines  and 
articles  necessary  for  the  campaign. 

43 


338  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

The  general's  staff  arid  its  chief  will  depart  after  having  advanced 
all  the  brigades  and  material  of  war — taking  particular  care  that  after 
arriving  at  Matagula,  the  staff  will  be  distributed  to  each  division 
according  to  the  necessities  of  the  service. 

All  the  military  left  in  the  city,  will  know  as  their  commander- 
in-chief,  the  General-of-Brigade  Don  Juan  Arandox,  under  whose 
command  are  the  fortifications,  instruction,  and  discipline  of  the 
troops,  and  likewise  the  defence  of  the  city  and  state ;  he  being 
commanding  general. 

There  will  remain  in  this  city  only  those  soldiers  who  are  inca 
pable  of  doing  service  in  the  campaign  ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
26th,  they,  all  the  new  recruits,  the  sick,  the  weak  and  unarmed, 
will  be  marched  in  and  take  possession  of  the  different  barracks, 
for  it  is  the  desire  of  the  President  General-in-Chief,  that  only  those 
soldiers  should  march  who  are  capable  of  performing  the  duties,  and 
bearing  the  fatigues  and  privations  of  war. 

Each  brigade  will  leave  in  this  city  persons  capable  of  instructing 
their  recruits,  and  for  the  defence  of  the  place  ;  at  least  one  captain 
and  subalterns  in  proportion  to  their  respective  members. 

The  General-in-Chief,  Don  Manuel  M.  Lombardini,  will  order 
that  by  12  o'clock,  A.  M.,  to-morrow,  a  list  be  made  and  delivered  to 
the  chief  of  the  staff,  of  all  the  baggage  to  be  transported  belonging 
to  each  and  every  corps.  The  artillery,  engineer,  quartermaster, 
and  medical  staff  will  also  comply  with  this  order. 

The  chief  of  the  staff  will  remit  to  each  chief  of  section,  instruc 
tions  necessary  for  the  march. 

Every  officer  belonging  to  this  army,  whatever  may  be  his  rank 
or  title,  will  read  to  the  troops  under  his  command  the  following 
order  : 

1st.  Any  person  who  shall  desert  his  flag  shall  suffer  death, 
agreeably  to  article  57th,  of  the  29th  December,  1 838. 

2d.  Any  person  who  may  be  found  a  half  league  distant  from  this 
city,  or  from  the  camp,  wherever  it  may  be,  shall  be  considered 
guilty  of  the  crime  of  desertion. 

By  order  of  his  Excellency. 

SALAZON  CORONAL  VASQUEZ, 

General  Brigade. 


APPENDIX. 

GENERAL  ORDERS  of  the  20th  to  21st  February,  1847. 
General  Officer  of  the  day,  Don  Rafael  Vasquez ;   Aids  of  the  day 

Colonel  Jose  M'a  Bermudes,  Lieut.  Col.  Don  Francisco  Aspeitia. 
For  to-morrow — Don  Francisco  Meji,  General  Officer  of  the  day  ; 

Colonel  Don 'Carles  Brito,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Don  Gregorio 

Elate — Aids. 

In  the  morning  the  army  will  continue  its  march,  which  will 
commence  at  eleven  o'clock  precisely,  in  the  following  order: 

The  first,  second,  third  and  fourth  battalions  of  light  infantry 
will  take  the  lead  under  the  orders  of  General  Ampudia,  so  that  he 
may  be  able  to  avail  himself  of  all  advantages  that  the  circumstances 
may  require.  Immediately  after,  the  battalion  of  Sappers,  and  in 
its  rear,  and  at  the  head  of  the  division  of  infantry  of  the  van, 
under  the  orders  of  General  Pacheco,  will  be  placed  the  company 
of  Sharp  Shooters,  and  three  pieces  of  "  sixteens,"  with  their 
respective  artillerists  and  reserve,  as  likewise  the  ammunition,  com 
posed  of  one  hundred  round  shot,  one  hundred  grape  for  each  piece, 
and  eighty  boxes  of  musket  ammunition,  each  containing  9,600 
cartridges.  Division  of  infantry  of  the  centre,  commanded  by 
General  Manuel  M'n  Lombordini,  will  follow  ;  at  the  head  of  this 
column  there  will  be  five  "  twelves,"  manned  and  ammunitioned  as 
above,  and  also  eighty  boxes  of  musket  ammunition.  At  the  head  of 
the  division  of  the  rear,  commanded  by  General  Ortejo,  there  will  be 
five  pieces  of  eights,  supplied  with  men  and  ammunitioned  as  above, 
and  also  eighty  boxes  of  musket  ammunition,  containing  each  9,600 
cartridges.  The  division  of  cavalry  of  the  rear,  will  follow  closely 
on  the  last  of  infantry,  having  at  their  head  the  "  Hussars,"  and  in 
the  rear,  the  general  ammunition  train  escorted  by  the  brigade  of 
horse  artillery.  After  the  ammunition  train,  all  the  camp  followers 
of  all  classes,  with  the  baggage  of  all  kinds,  laundresses,  cooks,  &c., 
it  being  distinctly  understood  that  no  women  will  be  allowed  to  mix 
with  the  column.  The  chief  of  the  com'g  department  is  Don  Pedro 
Ranjel,  who  is  also  in  charge  of  the  baggage  train. 

His  Excellency  the  General-in-chief,  furthermore  orders,  that  the 
dfferent  corps  shall  to-day  receive  from  the  commissary  three  days' 
rations  for  the  21st,  22d  and  23d,  and  that  they  receive  the  necessary 


340  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

meat  this  afternoon  for  the  first  meal  to-morrow  morning,  which  the 
troops  are  directed  to  eat  one  hour  before  taking  up  the  line  of  march, 
and  the  second  will  be  taken  in  their  haversacks  to  be  eaten  in  the 
night  wherever  they  may  halt ;  this  last  will  consult  of  meat,  two 
biscuits,  and  a  half  of  a  cake  of  (piloncello)  brown  sugar  for  a  man, 
for  on  the  night  the  21st,  there  will  be  no  fires  permitted,  neither 
will  signal  be  made  by  any  military  instrument  of  music,  the 
movement  at  early  daybreak  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  having  to  be 
made  in  the  most  profound  silence. 

The  troops  will  drink  all  the  water  they  can  before  marching,  and 
will  take  with  them  in  their  canteens  or  other  vessels,  all  they  can 
possibly  carry,  and  they  will  economize  the  water  all  they  can,  for 
we  shall  encamp  at  night  without  water,  and  shall  not  arrive  at  it 
until  twelve  o'clock  on  the  following  day. 

The  chief  of  corps  will  pay  much,  much  attention  to  this  last 
instruction. 

Each  mule  belonging  to  the  ammunition  train,  and  the  horses  of 
officers,  will  receive  two  rations  of  corn,  which  they  will  take  with 
them,  and  these  will  be  fed  to  them  to-morrow  night  at  dusk  and  the 
following  morning  at  daybreak.  The  horses'  girths  will  only  be 
slackened,  and  the  mules  will  not  be  unharnessed,  while  they  are 
eating.  The  light  brigade  will  likewise  obey  this  order  on  the  night 
of  the  21st,  only  loosening  their  saddles  a  little.  The  horses  and 
mules  will  be  taken  to  water  before  commencing  the  march. 

Each  division  will  take  with  it  its  respective  medical  staff,  hospital 
attendants,  medicines,  &c.,  regulated  by  the  Medical  Inspector- 
General. 

The  Chaplain-in-chief  will  provide  each  divison  with  its  chaplain. 
He  will  also,  as  to-morrow  is  a  feast  day,  order  mass  to  be  said  at 
six  o'clock  in  front  of  the  position  occupied  by  the  vanguards,  at 
seven  o'clock  in  front  of  the  centre,  at  eight  o'clock  in  front  of  the 
rear  guards,  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  front  of  the  division  of  cavalry. 

General  Don  Francisco  Perez  is  ordered  to  be  recognized  as 
second  in  command  to  General  Lombordini,  and  General  Don 
Guzman  as  second  to  General  Ortejo. 

To  facilitate  the  duties  of  the  Conductor-General  of  the  baggage 


APPENDIX.  341 

train,  tho  cavalry  of  Celaya,  and  Prcsidual  troops,  arc  hereby  placed 
under  his  command. 

His  excellency,  the  General-in-chief,  recommends  to  every  officer 
punctual  compliance  with,  and  obedience  to  every  part  of  this,  his 
general  order.  By  order  of  his  excellency, 

MANUEL  MICHELTORKNA, 

Chief  of  the  General  Staff. 


fiom  tfje 

The  following  letter  which  appears  in  the  newspapers,  may  or 
may  not  be  genuine ;  but  it  certainly  contains  a  iiappy  and  caustic 
reproof  of  the  practice,  now  so  prevalent,  of  soliciting  discharges 
from  the  army. 

•*  The  following  letter  is  said  to  have  been  written  by  General 
Scolt  to  the  Honorable  Millard  Filmore :" 

HEAD-QUARTERS  OF  THE  ARMT. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  : — I  have  received  the  two  letters  (one  from  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Angier,  and  the  other  signed  by  Mr.  Van  Wyck)  asking, 
on  several  grounds,  the  discharge  of  James  Thompson,  a  private  of 
the  second  regiment  of  artillery.  1st — He  has  since  his  enlistment, 
reformed  his  habits.  This  is  an  argument  in  favor  of  his  serving  out 
his  time,  lest  he  should  relapse,  if  discharged,  before  confirmed  in  his 
reformation — military  discipline  highly  favors  reformation.  2d — He 
has  become  pious.  This  makes  him  at  once  a  better  soldier  and  a 
better  man,  and  fortunately  we  are  not  without  many  pious  officers 
and  men  in  our  ranks  ;  but  3d — it  is  alleged  that  he  has  imbibed 
conscientious  scruples  against  performing  military  duty. — If  the  man 
be  mad  he  can  be  discharged  on  a  surgeon's  certificate  to  that  effect 
— but  if  he  has  only  turned  coward,  we  have  ample  means  of 
punishing  him  if  he  should,  when  ordered,  refuse  to  fight. 

I  return  the  letters  you  enclosed,  and  remain, 

My  dear  sir,  with  great  esteem,  yours  truly, 

WINFIELD  SCOTT. 
Hon.  M.  FILMOBK. 


342         LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 


We  copy  below,  from  the  Taunton  (Mass.)  Whig  of  the  22d 
inst.,a  paragraph  from  an  eloquent  article  in  that  paper,  descriptive 
of  the  march  of  General  Wool  from  San  Antonio  de  Bexar  to  Lake 
Parras,  and  thence  to  Agua  Neuva,  a  distance  of  nearly  one  thousand 
miles.  The  circumstances  connected  with  this  march,  stamped 
General  Wool  as  one  of  the  best  disciplinarians  of  the  age,  and  the 
manner  in  which  he  manoeuvred  the  men  whom  he  had  so  suddenly 
transformed  from  civilians  into  soldiers,  on  the  plateau  of  Buena 
Vista,  proved  him  to  be  as  thoroughly  versed  in  the  combinations 
of  the  battle-field,  as  in  the  minutias  of  the  drill.  On  the  29th  of 
September,  1846,  he  commenced  his  march  from  San  Antonio  with 
the  advance  column  of  his  hasty  levies  ;  and  on  the  22d  of  February, 
only  five  months  thereafter,  they  were  brought  into  action  under  his 
own  eye,  and  behaved  with  a  steady  courage  which  the  old  Imperial 
Guard  of  Napoleon  could  never  have  surpassed.  When  it  is 
considered  that  of  these  five  months  nearly  three  were  consumed  in 
a  rapid  and  toilsome  progress  through  an  enemy's  country,  the 
military  instruction  which  General  Wool  contrived  to  impart  to  his 
troops  in  that  brief  interval,  cannot  fail  to  excite  both  wonder  and 
admiration.  It  has  been  recommended  by  some  of  our  veteran  officers, 
that  the  "  Camp  of  Instruction,"  should  be  organized  for  the  purpose 
of  drilling  the  raw  recruits,  before  sending  them  to  the  seat  of  war. 
General  Wool's  command  was  a  moving  camp  of  instruction  from 
the  day  he  took  up  his  line  of  march  at  San  Antonio,  to  the  day  he 
bivouacked  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Parras. 

General  Wool  had  accomplished  a  march  of  nine  hundred  miles 
through  the  heart  of  an  enemy's  country,  without  firing  a  gun  or 
shedding  a  drop  of  blood.  He  had  levelled  hills,  filled  ravines,  con 
structed  bridges,  led  his  army  over  sandy  plains,  scaled  mountains, 
and  brought  them  to  his  extreme  post  in  high  health,  scarcely  losing 
one  man  on  the  march  ;  the  whole  "  as  full  of  spirit  as  the  month  of 
May,"  and  although  consisting  principally  of  volunteers,  in  a  stale 
of  discipline  so  admirable,  that  it  was  the  wonder  of  all  military  men, 
the  column  was  itself,  so  thorough  in  all  its  appointments,  that  it  was 
the  model  of  an  army  :  in  want  of  nothing,  and  able  to  keep  the  field 
a  year.  —  The  General  had  accomplished  his  object  by  consummate 


APPENDIX.  343 

address,  and  a  system  of  admirable  military  diplomacy.  He  had 
restrained  all  plundering,  spared  the  Mexicans,  and  fed  his  own  army 
with  their  provisions,  which  were  readily  supplied  at  reasonable 
prices,  because  they  were  confident  that  they  would  be  honorably 
dealt  with  and  punctually  paid. 

The  annals  of  history  furnish  no  instance  of  a  march  like  this  ;  it 
is  not  surpassed  by  the  retreat  of  the  ten  thousand  Greeks  under 
Xenophori,  for  the  Greeks  were  retreating,  the  Americans  advancing. 
No  disasters  occurred,  nothing  was  lost,  the  supplies  of  provisions 
and  the  materiel  of  war  were  ample,  and  the  fine  condition,  both 
as  to  discipline  and  health,  in  which  the  soldiers  were  found  at  the 
termination  of  this  stupendous  march — all  utter  the  consummate 
military  ability  of  the  commander. 

General  Wool  soon  took  post  at  Buena  Vista,  and  when  General 
Taylor  arrived,  he  placed  him  in  command  of  all  the  forces  near 
Saltillo,  reserving  under  his  immediate  command  a  small  body  at 
Saltillo.  Vera  Cruz  soon  became  the  principal  object,  and  it  was 
there  the  military  and  naval  enterprise  of  America  was  to  be  tested. 
General  Scott "  regretted  that  the  necessities  of  the  service  required'5 
all  Taylor's  regulars,  and  the  best  of  his  volunteers,  for  the  operations 
against  Vera  Cruz,  and  that  he  was  compelled  to  reduce  him  to  a 
state  of  inactivity.  General  Worth  was  ordered  to  the  coast. 
General  Butler  left  the  army  on  sick  leave  and  went  to  Washington. 
Taylor  and  Wool  were  the  only  generals  left.  Shut  up  in  the 
mountains  and  in  garrison,  the  two  veterans  would  be  permitted  to 
hear  the  echoes  of  the  din  of  war,  and  to  give  salutes  to  celebrate 
General  Scott's  victories.  But, 

"  There  is  a  destiny  which  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough  hew  them  as  we  will." 

The  little  army  amongst  the  mountains,  were  compelled  to  meet 
in  pitched  battle,  the  grand  army  of  Mexico,  led  by  Santa  Anna,  the 
principal  general  and  President  of  the  Republic,  in  person,  and  a 
victory  was  gained  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  America,  and  which 

will  be 

"  In  story  and  in  song 

For  many  an  age  remembered  long." 

The  echo  of  victory  descended  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea  ;  it  is 


344  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

more  appalling  than  cannon,  shells  and  Paixhan  guns — -an  ocean 
fleet  and  "an  army  with  banners."  In  five  days  the  principal 
commercial  city  of  Mexico,  and  the  Gibraltar  of  America  were 
surrendered.  The  eagle  of  the  mountains  had  strangled  the  serpent 
of  Aztec. 


politic*. 

The  political  position  of  General  Taylor,  seems  to  be  very  clearly 
defined  in  the  following  letters  lately  published  in  the  Clinton 
Floridian.  It  is  addressed  to  a  Democrat : 

CAMP  BTEAU  MoXTERET,  MEXICO, 

June  9th,  1847. 

DEAR  SIR  : — Your  letter  of  the  15th  ult.,  from  Clinton,  Louisiana, 
has  just  reached,  in  which  you  are  pleased  to  say,  "  the  signs  of  the 
times  in  relation  to  the  next  Presidency,  and  the  prominent  position 
of  your  name  in  connexion  with  it,  is  a  sufficient  excuse  for  this 
letter." — That  "  it  is  a  happy  feature  in  our  government  that  official 
functionaries  under  it,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  station,  are  not 
beyond  the  reach  and  partial  supervision  of  the  humblest  citizen,  and 
that  it  is  a  right  in  every  freeman  to  possess  himself  of  the  political 
principles  and  opinions  of  those  into  whose  hands  the  administration 
of  the  government  may  be  placed,"  <fcc.,  to  all  of  which  1  fully  coincide 
with  you  in  opinion. — Asking  my  views  on  several  subjects — "  1st, 
as  to  the  justice  and  necessity  of  this  war  with  Mexico,  on  our  part ; 
2d,  as  to  the  necessity  of  a  national  bank,  and  the  power  of  Congress 
for  creating  such  an  institution  ;  3d,  as  to  the  effects  of  a  high  pro 
tective  tariff,  and  the  right  of  Congress  under  the  Constitution,  to 
create  such  a  system  of  revenue." 

As  regards  the  first  interrogatory,  with  my  duties  and  the  position 
I  occupy,  I  do  not  consider  it  would  be  proper  in  me  to  give  any 
opinion  in  regard  to  the  same ;  as  a  citizen,  and  particularly  as  a 
soldier,  it  is  sufficient  for  me  to  know  that  our  country  is  at  war 
with  a  foreign  nation,  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  bring  it  to  a  speedy 
and  honorable  termination,  by  the  most  vigorous  and  energetic 
operations,  without  inquiring  about  its  justice  or  anything  else 


APPENDIX  345 

connected  with  it ;  believing  as  I  do,  it  is  our  wisest  policy  to  be 
at  peace  with  all  the  world,  as  long  as  it  can  be  done  without 
endangering  the  honor  and  interests  of  the  country. 

As  regards  the  second  and  third  inquiries,  I  am  not  prepared  to 
answer  them  ;  I  could  only  do  so  after  investigating  those  subjects, 
which  I  cannot  now  do ;  my  whole  time  being  fully  occupied  in 
attending  to  my  proper  official  duties,  which  must  not  be  neglected 
under  any  circumstances  ;  and  I  must  say  to  you  in  substance  what 
I  have  said  to  others  in  regard  to  similar  matters,  that  I  am  no 
politician.  Near  forty  years  of  my  life  have  been  passed  in  the 
public  service,  in  the  army,  most  of  which  was  in  the  field,  the  camp, 
on  our  western  frontier,  or  in  the  Indian  country ;  and  for  nearly  the 
two  last  in  this  or  Texas,  during  which  time  I  have  not  passed  one 
night  under  the  roof  of  a  house. 

As  regards  being  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  at  the  coming 
election,  I  have  no  aspirations  in  that  way,  and  regret  that  the  subject 
has  been  agitated  at  this  early  day,  and  that  it  had  not  been  deferred 
until  the  close  of  this  war,  or  until  the  end  of  the  next  session  of 
Congress,  especially  if  I  am  to  be  mixed  up  with  it,  as  it  is  possible 
it  may  lead  to  the  injury  of  the  public  service  in  this  quarter,  by  my 
operations  being  embarrassed,  as  well  as  produce  much  excitement 
in  the  country  growing  out  of  the  discussion  of  the  merits,  &c.,  of 
the  different  aspirants  for  that  high  office,  which  might  have  been 
very  much  allayed,  if  not  prevented,  had  the  subject  been  deferred  as 
suggested  ;  besides,  very  many  changes  may  take  place  between  now 
and  1848,  so  much  so,  as  to  make  it  desirable  for  the  interest  of  the 
country,  that  some  other  individual  than  myself,  better  qualified  for 
the  situation,  should  be  selected  ;  and  could  he  be  elected,  I  would 
not  only  acquiesce  in  such  an  arrangement,  but  would  rejoice  that 
the  republic  had  one  citizen,  and  no  doubt  there  are  thousands,  more 
deserving  than  I  am,  and  better  qualified  to  discharge  the  duties  of 
said  office. 

If  I  have  been  named  by  others,  and  considered  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency,  it  lias  been  by  no  agency  of  mine  in  the  matter — and  if 
the  good  people  think  my  services  important  in  that  station,  and  elect 
me,  I  will  feel  bound  to  serve  them,  and  all  the  pledges  and 
explanations  I  can  enter  into  and  make,  as  regards  this  or  that  policy, 

44 


34G  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  TAYLOR. 

is,  that  1  will  do  so  honestly  and  faithfully  to  the  best  of  my  abilities, 
strictly  in  compliance  with  the  constitution.  Should  I  ever  occupy 
the  White  House,  it  must  be  by  the  spontaneous  move  of  the  people, 
and  by  no  act  of  mine,  so  that  I  could  go  into  the  office  untrammelled, 
and  be  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation  and  not  of  a  party. 

But  should  they,  the  people,  change  their  views  and  opinions 
between  this  and  the  time  of  holding  the  election,  and  cast  their 
votes  for  the  Presidency  for  some  one  else,  I  will  not  complain. 
With  considerations  of  respect,  I  remain,  your  obedient  servant, 

Z.  TAYLOR. 

Mr.  EDWAIID  DELUNY. 
p  §  s. I  write  in  great  haste,  and  under  constant  interruption. 


D.  AppJdon  <§•  CoSs  Publications. 


PROF.    FROST'S    POPULAR    WORKS. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  NAVY: 

Comprising  a  General  History  of  the  American  Marine,  and  particular  ac 
counts  of  all  the  most  celebrated  Naval  Buttles,  from  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence  to  the  present  time,  compiled  from  the  best  authorities.  By  John 
Frost,  L.  L.  D.  With  an  Appendix,  containing  Naval  Songs,  Anecdotes,  &c. 
Embellished  with  numerous  original  engravings,  and  Portraits  of  distinguished 
Naval  Commanders.  One  volume,  12mo.,  $1,00. 

"  This  is  the  only  popular,  and  yet  authentic,  single  view  which  we  have  of  the  naval  exploits 
of  our  country,  arranged  with  good  taste  and  set  forth  in  good  language." — U.  S.  Gazette. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  ARMY  : 

Comprising  a  General  Military  History  of  the  United  States,  from  the  period 
of  the  Revolution  to  the  present  time,  with  particular  accounts  of  all  the  most 
celebrated  Battles,  compiled  from  the  best  authorities.  By  John  Frost,  L.L.  D. 
Illustrated  with  numerous  Engravings,  and  Portraits  of  distinguished  Com 
manders.  One  volume,  I2mo.,  $1,25. 

"  The  imi)ortance  of  popular  works  of  the  class  to  which  this  and  the  '  Book  of  the  Navy'  be 
long,  must  be  obvious  to  all  who  recognize  the  value  of  national  recollections  in  preserving  it 
true  national  spirit." 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  COLONIES  : 

Comprising  a  History  of  the  Colonies  composing  the  United  States  ;  from 
the  discovery  in  the  10th  century  to  the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary 
War.  Compiled  from  the  best  authorities.  By  John  Frost,  L.  L.  D.  I2mo., 
illustrated,  $1,00. 

This  volume  may  be  considered  as.a  sequel  to  the  '  Book  of  the  Army'  and  the  '  Book  of  the 
Navy,'  by  the  same  author. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  INDIANS 

Of  North  America.  Their  manners,  Customs,  and  Present  Stale.  Compiled 
from  the  most  recent  authorities.  By  John  Frost,  L.L.  D.  12mo.,  illustrated, 
$1,00. 

"  A  useful  and  acceptable  volume,  to  all  who  desire  authentic  information  respecting  Indian 
life,  with  numerous  pictorial  sketches." — Com.  Advertiser. 

THE  BOOK  OF  GOOD  EXAMPLES: 

Drawn  from  Authentic  History  and  Biography.  Designed  to  Illustrate  the 
beneficial  Effects  of  Virtuous  Conduct.  By  John  Frost,  L.L.  D.  12mo.,  il 
lustrated,  $1,00. 

"  Tn  proposing  historical  examples  to  the  young,  the  author  of  this  work  hopes  to  incite  them 
to  the  study  and  practice  of  those  active  du'ies  and  virtuous  habits  which  form  the  basis,  not  less 
of  success  in  life  and  private  happiness,  than  of  distinction  and  honour  among  men." 

THE  BOOK  OF  ILLUSTRIOUS  MECHANICS 

Of  Europe  and  America.  Translated  from  the  French  of  Edward  Foncaud. 
Edited  by  John  Frost,  L.L.  D.  I2mo.,  illustrated,  $1,00. 

'•  This  volume  will  be  read  by  Mechanics  with  great  pride,  and  by  every  body  with  a  certain 
ty  of  gaining  information." — .V.  Orleans  Times. 

THE  BOOK  OF  ANECDOTES: 

Or  the  Moral  of  History,  taught  by  Real  Examples.  By  John  Frost,  L.L.  D. 
One  vol.  12mo.,  illustrated,  $1,00. 

"  This  book  is  principally  intended  for  the  young,  but  persons  of  all  ages  may  find  in  it  both 
edification  and  amusement." — U.  S.  Gazette. 

THE  BOOK  OF  TRAVELS  IN  AFRICA: 

From  the  earliest  ages  to  the  present  time,  compiled  from  the  best  authorities 
By  John  Frost,  L.L.  D.  One  vol.  12mo.,  illustrated  with  Portraits  and  Steel 
Engravings,  $1,UO. 

"The  work  will  be  a  great  acquisition  to  our  Schools,  and  to  every  household  where  there  ar« 
young  persons  to  be  instructed." — Prot.  C'fiurchm.Tit. 


POPULAR  WORKS 

PUBLISHED  BY 

D.    APPLETON    &    COMPANY, 

2OO  BROADWAY. 


HANDY  ANDY.    By  Samuel  Lover. 

Price  50  cents. 
£  S.  D.    TREASURE  TROVE.    By 

Samuel  Lover.    Price  25  cents. 

FORTUNES  OF  HECTOR  O'HAL- 
LORAN.  By  W.  H.  Maxwell. 
Price  50  cents. 

MARGUERETE  DE  VALOIS.    By 

Alex.  Dumas.    Price  25  cents. 

HISTORY  AND  ADVENTURES 
OF  MARGARET  CATCHPOLE. 
By  Rev.  Richard  Corbould.  Price  25 
cents. 

THE  PEOPLE.  By  M.  Michelet. 
Price  38  cents. 

NARRATIVE  OF  THE  EXPLOR 
ING  EXPEDITION  TO  OREGON 
AND  CALIFORNIA.  By  Capt. 
Fremont.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  LIFE  OF  MAJOR  GENERAL 
ZACHARY  TAYLOR.  By  C.  F. 
Powell.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  FOOL  OF  THE  NINETEENTH 
CENTURY  ;  and  other  Tales.  By 
H.  Zschokke.  Price  50  cents. 

MY  UNCLE  HOBSON  AND  I ;   or 

Slashes  at  Life.    By  P.  Jonet.     Price 

50  cents. 
MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN 

LADY.    By  Mrs.  Grant.    Price  50 

cents. 
THE  BETROTHED  LOVERS.    By 

Alex.  Manzoni.    2vols.    Price  $1. 


AMY  HERBERT.    A  Tale,  by  Miss 
Sewell.     Price  50  cents. 


By  Miss  Sewelh   Price 


GERTRUDE. 

50  cents. 
LANETON  PARSONAGE.    By  Miss 

Sewell.    Price  50  cents. 
MARGARET  PERCIV A L.    By  Mi* 

Sewell.    2  vols.    $1. 
THE    FAIRY    BOWER.      A    Tale 

Price  50  cents. 
SOMETHING  FOR  EVERY  BODY. 

By  Rob't  Carlton.     Price  50  cents. 
TWO  LIVES  ;  or  To  Seem  and  To  Be 

By  Miss  Mclntosh.     Price  50  cents. 
AUNT  KITTY'S  TALES.     By  MUs 

Mclntosh.    50  cents. 

PREVENTION  BETTER  THAN 
CURE.  By  Mrs.  Ellis.  Price  50 
cents. 

A  VOYAGE  UP  THE  AMAZON. 

By  W.  H.  Edwards.     Price  $1. 
A    SUMMER  IN    THE  WILDER 

NESS.    By  Charles  Lanman.     Price 

50  cents 
LIFE  OF  MARTIN  LUTHER.     By 

M.  Michelet.    Price  50  cents. 
HISTORY  OF  THE  ROMAN  RE 

PUBLIC.    By  M.  Michelet.    Price 

75  cents. 
HISTORY    OF    FRANCE.    By  M. 

Michelet.    2  vols.    $3  50. 

HISTORY  OF  CIVILIZATION.  By 
F.  Guizot  4  vols.  $3  50. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


REC'D 


AUGl    1960 


SFP  01  1989 


CIRCULATION  PFPT. 


QEC7     13658 

:HIM   1    e  1994 

JUN  15  l 

AUIODISC. 

Rfc.<->u 

JUN  1  5  1993 

QEC  ^ 

c,Rr"-*T!ON 

/IDD   Q  n   ^ 

$—8 


LD  21A-50m-4  '60 
(A9562slO)476B 


General  Library 

Unirersity  of  California 

Berkeley 


YB  37483 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


